535    363 


ouree  i 
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AUG  27  1903 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

GIFT  OF 


Class 


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Source-Readers  in  American  History  —  No.  Ill 

HOW    OUR    GRANDFATHERS 
LIVED 


Source-Readers   in  American    History  —  No.  3 


HOW    OUR 
GRANDFATHERS  LIVED 


SELECTED    AND    ANNOTATED    BY 

ALBERT    BUSHNELL    HART 

OF  HARVARD  UNIVERSITY 
WITH    THE    COLLABORATION    OF 

ANNIE    BLISS    CHAPMAN 
OF  THE  WORCESTER  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


WITH    MANY  ILLUSTRATIONS 


OF  TH£ 

>       \-  9- 


NEW    YORK 

THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

LONDON:   MACMILLAN   &  CO.,  LTD. 
I9O2 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,   1902, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotypcd  November,  1902. 


Norwood  Press 

S.  Gushing  &  Co. — Berwick  &f  Smith 
Norwood,  Mass.t  U.S.A. 


Preface 


VOLUMES  I  and  II  of  this  series  of  Source  Readers  deal  with 
periods  beyond  the  memory  of  living  persons ;  but  the  romance 
and  interest  of  American  life  and  American  history  are  not  at 
all  confined  to  the  beginnings,  and  this  volume  relates  chiefly 
to  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Our  grandfathers 
and  even  our  fathers  passed  lives  full  of  interest  and  of  unusual 
incidents  :  the  school,  the  field,  the  forest,  the  hunt,  the  stage 
coach,  and  the  steamboat  are  already  remote  from  our  present 
generation.  Distinct  historic  incidents  are  also  abundant, 
especially  during  the  War  of  1812,  and  have  been  freely  used 
in  this  volume.  The  selections  on  American  education  will  be 
novel  to  most  children,  and  represent  some  picturesque  con 
ditions,  now  for  the  most  part  outgrown. 

Special  pains  have  been  taken  to  illustrate  the  remarkable 
life  of  the  western  frontier,  now  fast  becoming  only  a  tradition. 
As  in  the  other  volumes  of  the  series,  nothing  has  been  added 
to  these  extracts,  although  there  are  omissions  and  occasionally 
changes  of  words  or  phrases. 


ALBERT   BUSHNELL   HART. 


CAMBRIDGE,  MASSACHUSETTS, 
August,  1902. 


112105 


Contents 


F.'.GE 

ix 

INTRODUCTION  FOR   1  EACHERS 

PART   I 

IN  TOWN 
PART   II 

. 

45 

PART   III 

PART    IV 

• 

143 

OUT  WEST    . 
PART   V 

THE  INDIANS 

•     173 

PART   VI 

AT  SEA         

•     2I7 

THE  ARMY   . 


PART  VII 


271 


AT  SCHOOL  . 


PART   VIII 


3-7 


vii 


INTRODUCTION    FOR    TEACHERS 

THE  place  of  sources  in  secondary  schools  is  already 
assured,  and  teachers  using  them  are  ready  to  testify  to 
their  incalculable  value  in  teaching  history;  but  to  put 
sources  into  the  hands  of  grammar  school  children  is,  in 
the  minds  of  many  teachers,  quite  another  matter.  If, 
however,  sources  give  vividness  and  reality  to  the  study 
of  history  when  pursued  in  the  higher  schools,  why  may 
not  the  same  hold  true  for  elementary  schools,  provided 
the  selections  are  made  carefully  and  are  adapted  to  the 
age  and  understanding  of  the  pupils  ? 

In  my  own  experience  I  have  found  the  use  of  such 
sources  as  Bradford's  Journal,  for  instance,  invaluable 
both  for  giving  reality  to  the  study  of  the  early  years  of 
the  Plymouth  settlement  and  also  for  teaching  children 
where  to  go  to  settle  a  disputed  point.  I  have  put  the 
Journal  in  its  antiquated  form,  as  far  as  spelling  and 
construction  are  concerned,  into  the  hands  of  eighth  grade 
pupils  with  excellent  result ;  it  was  gratifying  to  find  that, 
when  two  text-books  disagreed  on  some  point,  the  pupils 
turned  at  once  to  Bradford  for  aid.  Several  of  my  stu 
dents  who,  in  connection  with  their  course  at  the  Normal 
School,  have  taught  in  the  grammar  grades  of  the  Worces 
ter  schools,  have  brought  me  testimony  as  to  the  assistance 
they  have  found  in  the  sources  —  particularly  in  connec 
tion  with  colonial  history  —  which  they  have  put  into  the 
pupil's  hands. 

This  series  of  readers  contains  sources  adapted  for  use 


x  Introduction 

in  elementary  schools,  and  much  study  of  the  ordinary 
history  text-book  would  fail  to  do  what  is  so  easily  done 
by  these  selections.  Moreover,  it  is  worth  while  to  make 
children  acquainted  with  some  of  the  people  who  wrote 
and  from  whose  works  we  gain  a  knowledge  of  the  past. 
Furthermore,  sources  cultivate  the  imagination,  because 
they  have  the  freshness  of  eye-witnesses,  and  so  vitalize 
history. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  volume,  dealing  as  it  does 
with  later  periods  than  either  of  former  ones  of  this  series, 
fewer  changes  have  been  made.  Occasionally  the  spell 
ing  and  phrasing  have  been  modified,  but  in  general  the 
selections  have  not  been  changed  in  any  particular.  The 
use  of  this  series  of  Source  Readers  as  a  regular  reading- 
book  has  been  explained  in  the  first  volume.  I  shall 
therefore  confine  myself  to  suggestions  for  the  use  of  this 
third  volume  in  connection  with  the  formal  study  of 
history,  a  purpose  to  which  it  is  well  adapted. 

When  the  Revolution,  for  instance,  is  studied,  selections 
1,2,  and  3,  rich  in  allusions  to  persons  of  that  time,  will 
give  an  added  interest  to  the  work.  Then  such  selections 
as  Brissot  de  Warville's  Visit  to  Mt.  Vernon  (No.  15), 
showing  the  simplicity  of  Washington's  life,  and  Jeffer 
son's  Letters  to  his  Daughters  (No.  100)  give  a  different 
idea  of  the  personality  of  these  men  from  that  gained 
from  the  ordinary  study  of  history.  The  anecdotes  of 
Hancock  (No.  5)  are  of  value  in  the  same  way,  and  may 
also  be  noted  as  containing  a  hint  of  the  feeling  regarding 
State  Rights  in  1790. 

For  illustrating  the  War  of  1812  there  is  a  wealth  of 
material.  The  Pleasures  of  Impressment  (No.  73)  will 
naturally  illustrate  the  causes  of  the  war,  while  such 
events  as  the  capture  of  the  Guerriere  can  be  found  both 
in  poetry  and  in  prose,  the  latter  being  the  official  an- 


Introduction  xi 

nouncement.  Most  children  old  enough  to  use  this  book 
will  probably  be  familiar  with  the  Star-Spangled  Banner 
(No.  80),  but  if  not,  it  would  be  worth  while  to  vary  the 
reading  by  learning  to  sing  what  should  be  familiar  to 
every  grammar  school  pupil  in  the  country. 

Practically  the  whole  of  Part  VII  should  be  used  in 
connection  with  the  War  of  1812.  Dolly  Madison's  letter 
describing  the  saving  of  Washington's  portrait  (No.  90) 
deserves  especial  attention.  One  can  fairly  see  the  impa 
tience  of  Mr.  Carroll  as  he  waited  while  the  painting  was 
secured,  and  can  almost  hear  the  tramp  of  the  invading 
army.  Such  a  selection  as  this  does  more  to  render  con 
ditions  of  war  vivid  than  pages  of  the  ordinary  text-book. 
Although  there  are  not  many  descriptions  of  battle-fields, 
two  selections  are  given  (Nos.  96  and  97)  which  show  the 
seamy  side  of  war.  It  is  worth  while,  sometimes,  to  let 
children  get  a  glimpse  of  some  other  phase  than  the 
heroic.  It  will  be  noticed  also  that  testimony  from  other 
than  American  writers  has  been  sought.  Extracts  have 
been  made  from  accounts  by  British  officers  or  sympa 
thizers  (Nos.  89,  92,  96).  It  is  worth  while  to  call  the 
pupil's  attention  to  this  fact. 

Another  feature  of  this  book  which  adapts  it  for  use  in 
history  study  is  the  attention  paid  to  the  development  of 
the  country.  The  rude  life  of  one  hundred  years  ago  is 
strikingly  presented  in  Breck's  account  of  the  Mad-Caps 
of  Boston  (No.  4),  while  Parts  III  and  IV  are  rich  in  con 
trasts  with  present  conditions.  To  the  majority  of  children 
to-day  a  Canal  Trip  (No.  36)  is  an  unknown  experience, 
and  those  familiar  with  the  comforts  of  the  modern  steam 
ship  will  enjoy  the  description  of  an  early  steamboat  (No. 
35)  and  such  experiences  in  ocean  travelling  as  Abigail 
Adams  gives  in  her  letters  (No.  72).  Moreover,  the  life 
described  is  not  confined  to  our  section  alone ;  it  ranges 


xii  Introduction 

from  the  receptions  of  prominent  men  (No.  5)  to  an 
account  of  Philadelphia  fashions  (No.  6) ;  from  life  in 
Mexico  (No.  9)  to  that  in  New  York  (Nos.  7  and  13)  and 
Philadelphia  (No.  8);  while  foreign  conditions  are  touched 
upon  in  such  a  selection  as  A  Japanese  Reception 
(No.  86). 

Old  customs,  long  since  given  up,  are  here  brought  to 
the  notice  of  the  pupil  for  the  purpose  of  adding  vividness 
to  the  life  of  the  past.  Especially  interesting  are  such 
old  customs  as  those  described  in  The  Bells  (No.  22),  and 
the  old  method  of  celebrating  New  Year's  Day  in  New 
York  (No.  13).  The  accounts  of  such  people  as  the 
Shaking  Quakers  (No.  19)  and  the  ceremonies  at  the 
Moravian  schools  portrayed  in  The  Children's  Love  Feast 
(No.  101)  are  particularly  good  because  of  their  unique 
descriptions. 

Primitive  life  is  closest  to  a  child's  understanding: 
hence  the  enjoyment  of  folk-lore,  of  fairy  tale,  of  adven 
ture  and  struggle  on  the  frontier.  The  life  and  customs 
of  the  Indians,  with  specimens  of  their  folk-lore,  are  found 
in  abundance  in  Part  V,  while  the  craving  for  stories  of 
adventure  may  be  met  with  in  such  selections  as  the  Ex 
periences  of  a  Hunter  during  a  Storm  (No.  27);  Boone's 
Adventures  (No.  49) ;  In  a  Cave  (No.  43) ;  and  Hewitt's 
Escape  from  the  Indians  (No.  60). 

Every  teacher  finds  that  stories  of  child  life  appeal 
most  strongly  to  children,  and  where  could  a  more  charm 
ing  story  be  found  than  in  Sheldon's  Incidents  in  the  Life 
of  a  Bound  Boy  (No.  21),  with  its  pictures  of  the  Thanks 
giving  festival,  the  work  and  play,  the  food  and  clothing 
of  a  boy  who  lived  over  a  hundred  years  ago  ?  A  contrast 
with  this  home  life  may  be  found  in  the  experiences  of  a 
boy  at  sea  (Nos.  75,  82),  while  the  Little  Indian  Captive 
(No.  57)  will  serve  to  make  the  dangers  of  frontier  life 


Introduction  xiii 

real,  as  well  as  to  show  a  side  of  Indian  character  that  is 
seldom  portrayed. 

The  accounts  of  school  life  are  rich  in  contrasts :  in 
the  Old  Fashioned  Reading  Book  (No.  26)  with  all  its  ab 
surdities  ;  in  Daniel  Webster's  account  of  his  school  life 
(No.  1 08),  with  its  list  of  books  and  the  confession  of  his 
difficulty  in  making  a  declamation ;  in  the  picture  of  the 
Last  Day  of  School  (No.  in);  and  in  the  quaint  list  of 
books,  of  branches  taught,  and  the  careful  attention  to 
manners  that  the  Very  Young  School  Mistress  gives 
(No.  114)  there  is  a  wealth  of  material  for  making  vivid 
the  school  life  of  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  More 
over,  we  have  nearly  all  varieties  of  school  life  given,  — 
that  in  the  country  (No.  114),  at  a  French  convent 
(No.  1 1 6),  at  a  boarding  school  (No.  115),  and  at  college 
(Nos.  105,  112). 

It  would  be  worth  while  to  have  a  class  represent  in 
drawings  the  exterior  and  interior  of  the  District  School 
of  1833  (No.  109),  following  the  descriptions  given.  Let 
me  suggest  also  that  a  miniature  log  cabin  be  built  in 
connection  with  the  study  of  frontier  life  (No.  47).  I 
have  seen  admirable  reproductions  of  the  settlement  of 
Plymouth  made  with  the  moulding-board  and  miniature 
houses,  the  latter  copying  as  closely  as  possible  the  rude 
houses  of  those  early  days.  Special  topics,  suggested  by 
many  of  these  selections,  could  be  assigned  to  individual 
pupils  who  could  report  to  the  class.  Such  work  is  val 
uable  training  both  to  the  one  who  prepares  the  subject 
and  to  those  to  whom  it  is  given.  The  note-book,  a  neces 
sary  adjunct  to  all  such  study,  will  be  found  especially 
helpful  in  this  work. 

Let  me  emphasize,  as  my  last  point,  the  fact  that  this 
book  supplies  a  need.  No  grammar  school  history  at 
tempts  to  deal  at  any  length  with  the  life  of  the  people. 


xiv  Introduction 

General,  and  usually  brief,  accounts  are  given,  but  they 
lack  the  reality  and  the  vividness  here  obtained  through 
the  words  of  the  actors  themselves.  The  life  of  a  people 
is  a  far  more  important  study,  certainly  for  children,  than 
wars  and  rumors  of  wars. 

ANNIE   BLISS   CHAPMAN. 


HOW    OUR    GRANDFATHERS 
LIVED 


PART    I 
IN   TOWN 


i.    An  American    Lady  in   London 

BY  ABIGAIL  ADAMS   (1785) 

To  amuse  you  then,  my  dear  niece,  I  will  give  you  st.james  = 
an  account  of  the  dress  of  the  ladies  at  the  ball  of  T^  r°[al 
the  Comte  d'Adhemar;  as  your  cousin  tells  me  that  London? 
she  some  time  ago  gave  you  a  history  of  the  birthday 
and  ball  at  Court,  this  may  serve  as  a  counterpart. 
Though,  should  I  attempt  to  compare  the  apartments, 
St.  James's  would  fall  as  much  short  of  the  French 
Ambassador's,  as  the  Court  of  his  Britannic  Majesty 
does  of  the  splendor  and  magnificence  of  that  of  his 
Most  Christian  Majesty.     I  am  sure  I  never  saw  an   Most  Chris- 
assembly  room  in  America,  which  did  not  exceed  that 
at  St.  James's  in  point  of  elegance  and  decoration ;   France. 
and,  as  to  its  fair  visitors,  not  all  their  blaze  of  dia 
monds,  set  off  with  Parisian   rouge,  can   match  the 
blooming  health,  the  sparkling  eye,  and  modest  de 
portment  of  the  dear  girls  of  my  native  land. 

As  to  the  dancing,  the  space  they  had  to  move  in 
gave  them  no  opportunity  to  display  the  grace  of  a 
minuet,  and  the  full  dress  of  long  court-trains  and 
enormous  hoops,  you  well  know  were  not  favorable 


2  In  Town  [NO.  i 

for  country  dances,  so  that  I  saw  them  at  every  dis 
advantage  ;  not  so  the  other  evening.  They  were 
much  more  properly  clad ;  —  silk  waists,  gauze  or 
white  or  painted  tiffany  coats  decorated  with  ribbon, 
beads,  or  flowers,  as  fancy  directed,  were  chiefly  worn 
by  the  young  ladies.  Hats  turned  up  at  the  sides 
with  diamond  loops  and  buttons  of  steel,  large  bows 
of  ribbons  and  wreaths  of  flowers,  displayed  them 
selves  to  much  advantage  upon  the  heads  of  some  of 
the  prettiest  girls  England  can  boast.  The  light 
from  the  lustres  is  more  favorable  to  beauty  than 
daylight,  and  the  color  acquired  by  dancing  more 
becoming  than  rouge,  as  fancy  dresses  are  more 
favorable  to  youth  than  the  formality  of  a  uniform. 

There  was  as  great  a  variety  of  pretty  dresses, 
borrowed  wholly  from  France,  as  I  have  ever  seen ; 
and  amongst  the  rest,  some  with  sapphire-blue  satin 
waists,  spangled  with  silver,  and  laced  down  the  back 
and  seams  with  silver  stripes  ;  white  satin  petticoats 
trimmed  with  black  and  blue  velvet  ribbon ;  an  odd 
kind  of  head-dress,  which  they  term  the  "  helmet  of 
The  owl.  Minerva."  I  did  not  observe  the  bird  of  wisdom, 
however,  nor  do  I  know  whether  those  who  wore  the 
dress  had  suitable  pretensions  to  it. 

"And  pray,"  say  you,  "how  were  my  aunt  and 
cousin  dressed  ?  "  If  it  will  gratify  you  to  know,  you 
shall  hear.  Your  aunt,  then,  wore  a  full-dress  court 
cap  without  the  lappets,  in  which  was  a  wreath  of 
white  flowers,  and  blue  sheafs,  two  black  and  blue 
flat  feathers  (which  cost  her  half  a  guinea  apiece, 
but  that  you  need  not  tell  of),  three  pearl  pins,  bought 
for  Court,  and  a  pair  of  pearl  earrings,  the  cost  of 
them  —  no  matter  what ;  less  than  diamonds,  how 
ever.  A  sapphire-blue  demi-saison  with  a  satin  stripe, 


A   LADY   OF  THE   REPUBLIC. 


In  Town 


[NO. 


Lord  North 
was  prime 

durin-the 
Revolution. 


sack  and  petticoat  trimmed  with  a  broad  black  lace  ; 
crape  flounce,  etc.  ;  leaves  made  of  blue  ribbon,  and 
trimmed  with  white  floss  ;  wreaths  of  black  velvet 
ribbon  spotted  with  steel  beads,  which  are  much  in 
fashion,  and  brought  to  such  perfection  as  to  re 
semble  diamonds;  white  ribbon  also  in  the  Vandyke 
style,  made  up  of  the  trimming,  which  looked  very 
elegant  ;  a  full-dress  handkerchief,  and  a  bouquet  of 
roses.  "  Full  gay,  I  think,  for  my  aunt."  That  is 
true,  Lucy,  but  nobody  is  old  in  Europe.  I  was 
seated  next  the  Duchess  of  Bedford,  who  had  a 
scarlet  satin  sack  and  coat,  with  a  cushion  full  of 
diamonds,  for  hair  she  has  none,  and  she  is  but 
seventy-six,  too. 

Well,  now  for  your  cousin  ;  a  small,  white  Leghorn 
hat,  bound  with  pink  satin  ribbon  ;  a  steel  buckle  and 
band  which  turned  up  at  the  side,  and  confined  a  large 
pink  bow  ;  a  large  bow  of  the  same  kind  of  ribbon 
behind  ;  a  wreath  of  full-blown  roses  round  the  crown, 
and  another  of  buds  and  roses  withinside  the  hat, 
which  being  placed  at  the  back  of  the  hair,  brought 
the  roses  to  the  edge  ;  you  see  it  clearly  ;  one  red 
and  black  feather,  with  two  white  ones,  completed 
the  head-dress.  A  gown  and  coat  of  Chamberi  gauze, 
with  a  red  satin  stripe  over  a  pink  waist,  and  coat 
flounced  with  crape,  trimmed  with  broad  point  and 
pink  ribbon  ;  wreaths  of  roses  across  the  coat  ;  gauze 
sleeves  and  ruffles.  But  the  poor  girl  was  so  sick 
with  a  cold,  that  she  could  not  enjoy  herself,  and  we 
retired  about  one  o'clock  without  waiting  for  supper,  by 
which  you  have  lost  half  a  sheet  of  paper,  I  dare  say. 

I  cannot  close  without  describing  to  you  Lady 
North  and  her  daughter.  She  is  as  large  as  Captain 
Colton's  wife,  and  much  such  a  woman,  with  a  much 


NO.  2]  Presentation  5 

fuller  face,  of  the  color  and  complexion  of  Mrs. 
Colton,  who  formerly  lived  with  your  uncle  Palmer, 
and  looks  as  if  porter  and  beef  stood  no  chance 
before  her;  she  was  dressed  in  white  satin,  trimmed 
with  scarlet  ribbon.  Miss  North  is  not  so  large,  nor 
quite  so  red,  but  has  a  very  small  eye,  with  the  most 
impudent  face  you  can  possibly  form  an  idea  of, 
joined  to  manners  so  masculine  that  I  was  obliged 
frequently  to  recollect  that  line  of  Dr.  Young's, 

"  Believe  her  dress  ;  she's  not  a  grenadier," 

to  persuade  myself  that  I  was  not  mistaken. 

Thus,  my  dear  girl,  you  have  an  account  which 
perhaps  may  amuse  you  a  little.  You  must  excuse 
my  not  copying;  I  fear,  now,  I  shall  not  get  nearly 
all  my  letters  ready,  —  my  pen  very  bad,  as  you  see ; 
and  I  am  engaged  three  days  this  week,  —  to  a  rout 
at  the  Baroness  de  Nolken's,  the  Swedish  minister's, 
to  a  ball  on  Thursday  evening,  and  to  a  dinner  on 
Saturday.  Do  not  fear  that  your  aunt  will  become 
dissipated,  or  in  love  with  European  manners ;  but, 
as  opportunity  offers,  I  wish  to  see  this  European 
world  in  all  its  forms  that  I  can  with  decency.  I 
still  moralize  with  Yorick,  or  with  one  more  expe 
rienced,  and  say,  "Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity." 


2.     Presentation   at   St.  James 

BY  ABIGAIL  ADAMS  (1785) 

CONGRATULATE  me,  my  dear  sister,  it  is  over.  I 
was  too  much  fatigued  to  write  a  line  last  evening. 
At  two  o'clock  we  went  to  the  circle,  which  is  in  the 
drawing-room  of  the  Queen.  We  passed  through 


6  In   Town  [NO.  2 

several  apartments,  lined  as  usual  with  spectators 
upon  these  occasions.  Upon  entering  the  antecham 
ber,  the  Baron  de  Lynden,  the  Dutch  Minister,  who 
has  been  often  here,  came  and  spoke  with  me.  A 
Count  Sarsfield,  a  French  nobleman,  with  whom  I 
was  acquainted,  paid  his  compliments.  As  I  passed 
into  the  drawing-room,  Lord  Carmarthen  and  Sir 
Clement  Cotterel  Dormer  were  presented  to  me. 
Though  they  had  been  several  times  here,  I  had 
never  seen  them  before.  The  Swedish  and  the  Polish 
ministers  made  their  compliments,  and  several%other 
gentlemen  ;  but  not  a  single  lady  did  I  know  until  the 
Countess  of  Effingham  came,  who  was  very  civil. 

There  were  three  young  ladies,  daughters  of  the 
Marquis  of  Lothian,  who  were  to  be  presented  at  the 
same  time,  and  two  brides.  We  were  placed  in  a 
circle  round  the  drawing-room,  which  was  very  full, 
I  believe  two  hundred  persons  present.  Only  think 
of  the  task  !  The  royal  family  have  to  go  round  to 
every  person,  and  find  small  talk  enough  to  speak  to 
all  of  them,  though  they  very  prudently  speak  in  a 
whisper,  so  that  only  the  person  who  stands  next 
you  can  hear  what  is  said.  The  King  enters  the 
room,  and  goes  round  to  the  right ;  the  Queen  and 
Princesses  to  the  left.  The  lord  in  waiting  presents 
you  to  the  King ;  and  the  lady  in  waiting  does  the 
same  to  her  Majesty. 

King  George  The  King  is  a  personable  man,  but,  my  dear  sister, 
he  has  a  certain  countenance,  which  you  and  I  have 
often  remarked ;  a  red  face  and  white  eyebrows. 
The  Queen  has  a  similar  countenance,  and  the  numer 
ous  royal  family  confirm  the  observation.  Persons 
are  not  placed  according  to  their  rank  in  the  drawing- 
room,  but  promiscuously ;  and  when  the  King  comes 


No.  2] 


Presentation 


in,  he  takes  persons  as  they  stand.  When  he  came 
to  me,  Lord  Onslow  said,  "  Mrs.  Adams ; "  upon 
which  I  drew  off  my  right-hand  glove,  and  his  Maj 
esty  saluted  my  left  cheek ;  then  asked  me  if  I  had 
taken  a  walk  to-day.  I  could  have  told  his  Majesty 
that  I  had  been  all  the  morning  preparing  to  wait 
upon  him;  but  I  replied,  "  No,  Sire."  "  Why,  don't 
you  love  walking  ?  "  says  he.  I  answered,  that  I  was 
rather  indolent  in  that  re 
spect.  He  then  bowed, 
and  passed  on.  //y 

It  was  more  than  two 
hours  after  this  before  it 
came  to  my  turn  to  be  pre 
sented  to  the  Queen.  The 
circle  was  so  large  that  the 
company  were  four  hours 
standing.  The  Queen 
was  evidently  embarrassed 
when  I  was  presented  to 
her.  I  had  disagreeable 
feelings  too.  She,  how 
ever,  said,  "  Mrs.  Adams, 
have  you  got  into  your  house  ?  Pray,  how  do  you 
like  the  situation  of  it  ?  "  Whilst  the  Princess  Royal 
looked  compassionate,  and  asked  me  if  I  was  not 
much  fatigued ;  and  observed  that  it  was  a  very  full 
drawing-room.  Her  sister,  who  came  next,  Princess 
Augusta,  after  having  asked  your  niece  if  she  was 
ever  in  England  before,  and  her  answering  "  Yes," 
inquired  of  me  how  long  ago,  and  supposed  it  was 
when  she  was  very  young.  And  all  this  is  said  with 
much  affability,  and  the  ease  and  freedom  of  old 
acquaintance. 


PRINCESS   AUGUSTA   SPINNING. 


8  In  Town  [No.3 

The  manner  in  which  they  make  their  tour  round 
the  room  is,  first,  the  Queen,  the  lady  in  waiting 
behind  her,  holding  up  her  train ;  next  to  her,  the 
Princess  Royal ;  after  her,  Princess  Augusta,  and 
their  lady  in  waiting  behind  them.  They  are  pretty, 
rather  than  beautiful,  well  shaped,  with  fair  complex 
ions,  and  a  look  of  the  King's  countenance.  The 
two  sisters  look  much  alike;  they  were  both  dressed 
in  black  and  silver  silk,  with  a  silver  netting  upon 
the  coat,  and  their  heads  full  of  diamond  pins.  The 
Queen  was  in  purple  and  silver.  She  is  not  well 
shaped  nor  handsome.  As  to  the  ladies  of  the  Court, 
rank  and  title  may  compensate  for  want  of  personal 
charms ;  but  they  are,  in  general,  very  plain,  ill- 
shaped,  and  ugly ;  but  don't  you  tell  anybody  that 
I  say  so.  If  one  wants  to  see  beauty,  one  must  go 
to  Ranelagh ;  there  it  is  collected,  in  one  bright  con- 
A  pleasure  stellation.  There  were  two  ladies  very  elegant,  at 
Court,  —  Lady  Salisbury  and  Lady  Talbot ;  but  the 
observation  did  not  in  general  hold  good,  that  fine 
feathers  make  fine  birds.  I  saw  many  who  were 
vastly  richer  dressed  than  your  friends,  but  I  will 
venture  to  say,  that  I  saw  none  neater  or  more 
elegant. 


3.    A  Little  Patriot  and  her  Papa 

BY  ABIGAIL  ADAMS  (1785) 

LONDON,  June  ist,  1785.  To-day  my  father  went 
with  Lord  Carmarthen  to  the  Palace,  where  he  found 
many  gentlemen,  known  to  him  before.  Lord  C. 
introduced  him  to  his  majesty,  George  III.  Papa 
made  his  speech  when  he  presented  his  letter ;  his. 


NO.  3]  A   Little   Patriot  9 

majesty  was  affected,  and  said,  "  Sir,  your  words 
have  been  so  proper,  upon  this  occasion,  that  I  can 
not  but  say  I  am  gratified  that  you  are  the  man 
chosen  to  be  the  Minister." 

June  4th.  This  is  the  anniversary  of  his  majesty's 
birth;  consequently  there  was  a  Levee  at  St.  James. 
On  this  day  their  majesties  speak  to  every  person 
present.  The  King  speaks  first  to  the  Foreign  Min 
isters.  He  conversed  a  quarter  of  an  hour  with  the 
Spanish  Minister,  upon  music,  of  which  he  said  he 
was  passionately  fond,  particularly  of  Handel's ;  he 
respected  the  memory  of  Handel,  for  he  owed  to  him 
the  greatest  happiness  of  his  life,  and  observed  that 
Handel  had  said  of  him  when  young  "That  young 
man  will  preserve  my  music."  My  father  observed 
that  he  had  never  heard  anything  like  conversation 
at  court  before.  One  of  the  Ambassadors  who  had 
attended  at  the  French  court  thirty  years,  said  Mon 
sieur,  the  king's  brother,  had  asked  every  time  he  had 
been  to  court,  which  was  generally  every  Tuesday, 
"  have  you  come  from  Paris  to-day  ?  "  and  no  other 
question. 

September  2d.  About  twelve  o'clock,  Mrs.  Smith, 
from  Clapham,  and  Miss  B.  called  upon  us.  Mamma 
was  just  dressing,  so  I  had  to  appear.  Miss  B.  began 
to  question  me,  as  to  which  country  I  liked  best, 
France  or  England  ?  I  would  not  give  a  preference. 
"  But  you  undoubtedly  prefer  England  to  America  ?" 
"  I  must  indeed  confess,  Miss,  that  I  do  not  at  pres 
ent."  Was  it  possible !  I  acknowledged  the  excel 
lencies  of  this  country.  There  was  more  to  please 
and  gratify  the  senses ;  but  I  had  formed  such 
friendships  and  attachments  in  America,  as  would 
ever  render  it  dear  to  me.  "  But  surely,  the  culture 


i  o  In  'Town  [NO.  3 

is  carried  to  a  much  greater  degree  of  perfection  here 
than  in  America."  "Granted."  "And  you  must," 
said  Miss  B.,  very  pertly,  "  find  a  great  difference 
between  America  and  this  country  ?  "  "  In  what, 
pray,  Miss?"  said  I.  "Why,  in  the  general  appear 
ance,  in  the  people,  their  manners,  customs,  behavior, 
and  in  everything."  "Indeed,"  said  I,  "I  do  not; 
there  is  so  great  a  similarity  in  the  manners  of  the 
people,  in  the  two  countries,  that  I  should  take  them 
for  one.  If  anything,  I  find  a  greater  degree  of 
politeness  and  civility  in  America,  than  in  the  people 
of  this  country.  And  the  lower  class  of  people  in 
America  are  infinitely  superior  to  the  lower  class  of 
people  here."  Their  astonishment  was  great  —  was 
it  possible  I  could  think  so !  Surely  the  distressing 
war  had  been  an  impediment  to  all  improvement  and 
education. 

Dr.  Bancroft  came  in  and  passed  an  hour.  After 
he  had  gone,  we  had  some  conversation  upon  the  pic 
tures  below.  Papa  said  they  were  spoiled ;  he  was 
not  at  all  content  with  his  own,  yet  thought  it  the  best 
that  had  ever  been  taken  of  him.  No  one  had  yet 
caught  his  character.  The  ruling  principles  in  his 
moral  character,  were  candor,  probity,  and  decision. 
I  think  he  discovered  more  knowledge  of  himself 
than  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  man  ;  for,  from  my 
own  'observation,  I  think  these  are  characteristic  of 
him  ;  and  I  add  another,  which  is  sensibility.  I  have 
never  discovered  a  greater  proportion  of  candor  in 
any  character.  I  hope  if  I  inherit  any  of  his  virtues 
it  may  be  this;  it  is  a  necessary  attendant  through 
life.  In  whatever  intercourse  we  have  with  society, 
we  find  it  necessary  in  a  greater  or  less  degree ;  and  in 
the  mind  of  a  woman,  I  esteem  it  particularly  amiable. 


No.  4] 


Mad- caps 


1 1 


4.    Mad-caps 

BY   SAMUEL   BRECK  (1787) 

ON  my  journey  to  Boston  I  chose  the  water-con 
veyance,  and  reached  my  native  town  on  the  second 
of  July,  1787,  after  an  absence  of  four  years  and  a 
half.  I  found  my  dear  parents  and  family  well.  On 
the  Fourth  of  July,  being  a  national  holiday,  there 
was  a  great  parade  on  the  Common  opposite  to  my 
father's  house,  and  a  vast  assemblage  at  the  beautiful 
residence  of  the  governor  of  the  State,  the  celebrated 
John  Hancock.  This  distinguished  man  lived  in  a 
spacious  stone  house,  built  by  his  uncle.  My  father 
introduced  me  to  His  Excellency  and  to  all  the  prin 
cipal  people  of  the  town.  Five  or  six  hundred  militia 
men  paraded  in  rifle-frocks  and  queer  dresses  in 
honor  of  the  day ;  a  public  oration  was  delivered  by 
Harrison  Gray  Otis,  I  believe ;  and  in  the  evening 
squibs  and  fireworks  closed  the  fete. 

A  few  weeks  after  my  arrival,  and  before  I  had 
become  acquainted  with  the  boisterous  manners  of 
the  young  men  of  those  days,  Isaac  Parker,  the  pres 
ent  chief  justice  of  Massachusetts,  invited  me  to  dine 
with  him.  He  was  then  a  law-student,  and  the  com 
pany  was  composed  of  lads  under  age  who  were  pre-  The  great 
paring  for  various  pursuits  in  life.  There  was  more  temPerance 

.11  movement 

noisy  mirth  after  dinner  than  was  in  good  taste  ;  but  began  abont 
it  was  the  fashion  of  the  day  to  drink  hard  and  then 
kick  up  a  row.  Parker  resided  at  the  north  end  of 
the  town,  and  being  in  the  neighborhood  of  Charles- 
town,  it  was  agreed  by  the  company  to  adjourn  to  a 
drinking-house  on  Breed's  Hill.  Thither  we  went,  a 


forty  years 
later. 


good  deal    tipsy,  making    a 


over  the 


12  In  Town  [NO.  4 

bridge,  and  ascending  the  hill  by  a  steep  and  narrow 
street. 

I  was  sober  ;  most  of  our  party  were  otherwise,  and 
by  their  noise  and  insolence  in  passing  a  tailor's 
house  raised  the  anger  of  the  whole  shopboard,  who 
swore  they  would  cuff  and  trim  us,  and  send  us  home 
with  a  stitch  in  our  sides.  Down  jumped  half  a  dozen 
slipshod  snips,  who  threw  at  our  heads  glass  bottles, 
stones  and  other  missiles,  and  after  a  short  contest 
drove  us  back  to  Boston  somewhat  sobered.  Near 
the  concert-hall  we  met  an  acquaintance  named  Minot, 
who  prided  himself  on  his  spirit  in  an  affray.  We 
told  him  what  had  happened,  and  such  was  his  rage 
at  our  defeat  that  he  went  off  determined  to  avenge 
it.  Having  reached  the  bridge,  he  met  two  men  who 
smelt  of  cabbage,  as  the  boys  said,  and  very  uncere 
moniously  asked  them  where  they  were  going. 

"  We  are  going,"  said  they,  "  to  take  out  writs  against 
a  parcel  of  wild  chaps  who  have  insulted  us."  "  You 
are  ?  "  cried  Minot.  "  I  am  happy  to  meet  you  ;  " 
and  while  he  spoke  he  laid  one  fellow  over  the  head  with 
his  cane,  which  brought  him  to  the  ground,  and  drove 
the  other  back  to  Charlestown  ;  after  which,  proud  of 
his  victory,  he  returned  home.  And  so  did  I,  without 
thinking  any  more  about  the  business. 

The  next  morning,  however,  my  father  came  up  to 
my  chamber  with  a  very  grave  countenance,  holding 
in  his  hand  a  newspaper  in  which  our  party  was  lam 
pooned  in  verse  and  strongly  censured  in  prose.  Nor 
was  this  the  worst. 

"  Prepare  yourself,"  said  my  father,  "  to  pay  a 
heavy  fine  and  spend  a  few  months  in  prison,  for 
there  is  a  criminal  prosecution  on  foot,  which  will  end 
in  the  punishment  you  all  deserve."  I  soon  con- 


NO.  5]  John   Hancock  £3 

vinced  that  excellent  parent  that  I  was  a  non-comba 
tant,  which  was  confirmed  by  my  name  being  omitted 
in  the  suit  that  was  brought  against  all  the  others, 
including  Sam  Minot,  the  volunteer.  They  were  sum 
moned  to  Concord,  about  twenty  miles  from  Boston, 
and  condemned  to  pay  twenty  dollars  each.  Minot, 
some  three  or  four  years  afterward,  I  met  at  Amster 
dam,  where  he  had  been  engaged  unsuccessfully,  I 
think,  in  commerce.  He  was  the  same  harum- 
scarum  fellow  then  as  before,  and  died  young. 
Most  of  the  other  boys  of  that  frolic  who  grew  up, 
distinguished  themselves  in  their  various  walks  in  life, 
and  those  who  survive  are  now  the  magistrates,  legis 
lators,  fathers  and  venerable  square-toes  of  the  com 
munity  wherever  they  reside. 


5.   Anecdotes   of  John    Hancock 

BY   SAMUEL   BRECK  (1790) 

AT  the  time  when  Admiral  de  Ponderez  was  lying 
with  his  fleet  in  the  harbor  of  Boston,  the  great  Wash 
ington,  who  was  President  of  the  United  States,  ar 
rived  in  the  town.  He  like  a  kind  father  was  visiting 
the  vast  country  he  had  been  called  upon  to  govern. 
His  reception  was  most  cordial.  A  broad  arch  was 
purposely  erected,  with  appropriate  mottoes,  across 
Maryborough  street,  opposite  to  the  old  State  House, 
under  which  he  passed  in  great  state,  and  entering 
the  State  House  showed  himself  from  the  balcony  to 
the  thousands  who  stood  below.  I  placed  myself  on 
this  occasion  in  the  front  window  of  a  handsome  brick 
church  situated  almost  opposite.  From  that  church 


In   Town 


[No.  5 


I  saw  everything,  heard  the  fine  anthems  composed 
for  the  occasion,  and  gazed  upon  the  majestic  person 
and  beneficent  features  of  our  immortal  and  unique 
President  —  beloved,  admired  by  everybody.  The 
procession  moved  from  the  State  House  to  the  house 

selected  for  his 
residence.  It 
was  a  handsome 
brick  building  at 
the  corner  of 
Tremont  and 
Court  streets.  A 
beautiful  com 
pany  of  light 
infantry,  com 
manded  by  Har 
rison  Gray  Otis, 
served  as  a 
guard  of  honor 
and  escort. 

Governor  Han 
cock  had  pre 
pared  a  great 
dinner  at  his 
house,  to  which 

he  invited  the  French  admiral,  the  officers  of  his  fleet 
and  the  principal  citizens.  A  notion  had  got  into 
Hancock's  head  that  the  governor  of  a  State  was  a 
kind  of  sovereign  in  his  own  territory,  and  that  it 
would  be  derogatory  to  his  station  to  pay  the  first 
visit  to  any  one,  even  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States ;  and  acting  always  by  this  rule,  he  sent  an 
invitation  to  General  Washington  to  dine  with  him, 
but  excused  himself  from  calling  on  him,  saying  that 


THE    HANCOCK   HOUSE. 


NO.  5]  John   Hancock 


sickness  detained  him  at  home,  thus  covering  by  a 
lame  apology  the  resolution  which  he  dared  not 
openly  exercise  toward  the  President. 

Washington,  who  had  received'  some  hint  of  this 
intended  etiquette,  was  not  very  likely  to  submit  to 
it  ;  therefore,  when  he  arrived  at  his  residence  he  dis 
missed  Captain  Otis's  company,  and  instead  of  going 
to  dine  with  the  governor,  sent  his  aid-de-camp, 
Major  William  Jackson,  with  a  message  declining  the 
invitation,  and  intimating  that  if  Hancock's  health 
permitted  him  to  receive  company,  it  would  admit  of  . 
his  visiting  him. 

My  father  dined  at  the  governor's  that  day,  and 
about  sunset  brought  home  Admiral  de  Ponderez  and 
several  officers,  who  spent  the  evening  with  us.     The 
dinner  party  went  off  heavily,  as  every  one  was  disap 
pointed  at  not  meeting  with  the    President.     Mean 
time,  the   French  ships  of  war  in   the   harbor  were 
illuminated    with    variegated    lamps,     and     bonfires 
blazed  in  every  direction.     The  ladies  wore  bandeaux,   Bandeaux= 
cestuses  and  ribbons  stamped  and  worked  in  with  the  fillets  for  the 
name  of  Washington,  some  in  gold  and  silver,  and   cestus= 
others  with  pearls.     The  utmost  joy  and  enthusiastic  girdle. 
affection  pervaded  all  classes.     Every  honor  and  atten 
tion  was  lavishly  bestowed  on  the  distinguished  guest. 

About  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  accompanied 
the  admiral  to  the  wharf,  where  he  took  boat  for  his 
ship.  As  we  passed  the  residence  of  the  President, 
De  Ponderez  expressed  his  surprise  at  the  absence  of 
all  sort  of  parade  or  noise.  "  What  !  "  said  he,  "  not 
even  a  sentinel  ?  In  Europe,"  he  added,  "  a  briga 
dier-general  would  have  a  guard  ;  and  here  this  great 
man,  the  chief  of  a  nation,  dispenses  with  all  military 
show,  so  much  insisted  on  with  us  !  " 


1 6  In  Town  [NO.  5 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  immediately  after 
morning  service  Mr.  Joseph  Russell,  an  intimate 
acquaintance  of  the  governor's,  called  at  our  house 
and  told  my  father  that  His  Excellency  had  swallowed 
the  bitter  pill,  and  was  then  on  his  way  to  visit  the 
President ;  to  which  step  he  had  been  urged  by  a 
report  that  people  generally  condemned  his  false  pride. 

Hancock,  who  was  a  distant  relation  of  ours,  pos 
sessed  winning  manners  and  fascinating  conversation  ; 
yet  with  a  hospitable  heart  and  all  the  suavity  of  pol 
ished  breeding,  he  was  so  much  swayed  by  state  im 
portance  that  he  forfeited  occasionally  his  claim  to 
those  amiable  qualities.  An  example  has  just  been 
given  in  the  case  of  Washington ;  and  a  few  months 
later  the  same  thing  occurred  with  the  French  ambas 
sador,  Comte  de  Moustier,  who  when  visiting  Boston 
was  not  noticed  by  the  governor,  because  the  minister 
would  not  pay  him  the  first  visit.  It  may  be  that  the 
governor  was  right  here,  but  it  was  an  idle  piece  of 
etiquette,  which  disgusted  De  Moustier  with  Boston 
—  so  much  so  that  he  dined  nowhere,  I  think,  except 
at  my  father's. 

I  remember  another  occasion  on  which  Hancock 
showed  an  unkind  feeling  toward  the  general  govern 
ment,  from  an  idea  that  it  withheld  from  him  that 
deference  which  his  post  of  governor  of  a  sovereign 
state  entitled  him  to.  He  attached  mighty  impor 
tance  to  the  station  of  chief  magistrate  of  an  indepen 
dent  state,  forgetting  that  a  portion  of  that  lofty 
character  was  relinquished  when  Massachusetts  be 
came  a  component  part  of  the  Federal  Union.  His 
solicitude  upon  this  subject  brings  to  my  mind  four 
verses  to  the  tune  of  " Yankee  Doodle"  often  sung 
by  the  British  officers  during  the  Revolution : 


NO.  5]  John   Hancock  1 7 

"  Madame  Hancock  dreamt  a  dream  ; 

She  dreamt  she  wanted  something; 
She  dreamt  she  wanted  a  Yankee  king, 
To  crown  him  with  a  pumpkin." 

This  official  heartburning  led  him  to  neglect  all  those 
who  had  anything  to  do  with  the  Federal  govern 
ment.  Thus  it  was  that  a  party  of  Indian  chiefs  and 
their  squaws  who  were  sent  to  Boston  to  see  the  town 
were  totally  unnoticed  by  him. 

I  happened  to  meet  with  those  children  of  the 
woods  on  a  journey  from  New  York  to  Boston,  and 
spent  some  time  in  the  same  tavern  on  the  road. 
They  travelled  in  two  carriages  under  the  care  of 
Captain  Prior  of  the  army.  A  Mr.  d'Hauteville,  a 
Creole  French  planter,  was  with  me,  and  we  agreed 
to  show  some  attention  to  these  strangers  when  they 
arrived  at  Boston.  Accordingly,  we  went  to  see 
them,  and  made  arrangements  to  give  them  a  dinner 
at  our  lodgings.  Expecting  that  the  governor  would 
entertain  them,  we  waited  several  days.  He,  how 
ever,  took  no  notice  of  them,  and  on  the  appointed 
day  they  came  to  us.  Mrs.  Eaton's  house,  where  we 
lodged,  was  spacious,  and  the  courtyard  was  large 
and  retired,  and  well  suited  to  accommodate  the 
crowd  of  spectators  by  which  our  red  guests  were 
followed.  Calamung  coro  ho  are  the  Indian  words 
for  "  I  drink  your  good  health,"  and  they  were  often 
repeated  that  day.  After  the  cloth  was  removed  I 
asked  the  chief  for  a  toast.  He  rose  with  solemnity 
and  addressed  me  as  follows  :  "  Brother,  I  divide  my 
toast  into  three  parts.  First,  I  drink  reverence  to 
the  Great  Spirit,  our  Father  in  heaven ;  secondly,  to 
our  Great  Father  on  earth,  the  President  of  the 
United  States  ;  and  thirdly,  to  our  travelling  father 


1 8  In  Town  [NO.  6 

and  friend,  Captain  Prior."  All  this  was  delivered 
with  suitable  emphasis  and  great  gravity  in  the  In 
dian  language,  and  translated  by  the  interpreter  of 
the  government,  who  dined  with  us.  They  stayed 
about  three  hours,  and  conducted  themselves  very 
well,  retiring  loaded  with  cigars  and  reasonably  sober 
for  Indians. 


6.     Fashions   in    Philadelphia 

BY  DOLLY  MADISON  (1791) 

AND  now,  my  dear  Anna,  we  will  have  done  with 
judges  and  juries,  courts,  both  martial  and  partial, 
and  we  will  speak  a  little  about  Philadelphia  and 
the  fashions,  the  beaux,  Congress,  and  the  weather. 
Do  I  not  make  a  fine  jumble  of  them  ?  What  would 
Harper  or  beau  Dawson  say  were  they  to  know  it, 
ha,  ha,  — mind  you  laugh  herewith  me.  Philadelphia 
never  was  known  to  be  so  lively  at  this  season  as  at 
present ;  for  an  accurate  account  of  the  amusements, 
I  refer  you  to  my  letter  to  your  sister  Mary. 

I  went  yesterday  to  see  a  doll,  which  has  come 
from  England,  dressed  to  show  us  the  fashions,  and 
I  saw  besides  a  great  quantity  of  millinery.  Very 
long  trains  are  worn,  and  they  are  festooned  up 
Bot>bin=  a  with  loops  of  bobbin  and  small  covered  buttons, 
kind  of  trim-  the  same  as  the  dress ;  you  are  not  confined  to  any 
number  of  festoons,  but  put  them  according  to  your 
fancy,  and  you  cannot  imagine  what  a  beautiful  effect 
it  has.  There  is  also  a  robe  which  is  plaited  very 
far  back,  open  and  ruffled  down  the  sides,  without  a 
train,  even  with  the  petticoat.  The  hats  are  quite  a 
different  shape  from  what  they  used  to  be  :  they  have 


NO.  6]      Fashions  in  Philadelphia        i  g 

no  slope  in  the  crown,  scarce  any  rim,  and  are  turned 
up  at  each  side,  and  worn  very  much  on  the  side  of 
the  head.  Several  of  them  are  made  of  chipped 
wood,  commonly  known  as  cane  hats ;  they  are  all 
lined  :  one  that  has  come  for  Mrs.  Bingham  is  lined 
with  white,  and  trimmed  with  broad  purple  ribbon, 


A   GENTLEMAN   OF  THE    REPUBLIC. 

put  round  in  large  puffs,  with  a  bow  on  the  left  side. 
The  bonnets  are  all  open  on  the  top,  through  which 
the  hair  is  passed,  either  up  or  down  as  you  fancy, 
but  latterly  they  wear  it  more  up  than  down;  it  is 
quite  out  of  fashion  to  frizz  or  curl  the  hair,  as  it 
is  worn  perfectly  straight.  Earrings,  too,  are  very 


2o  In  Town  [NO.  7 

fashionable.  The  waists  are  worn  two  inches  longer 
than  they  used  to  be,  and  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
long  sleeves.  They  are  worn  half  way  above  the 
elbow,  either  drawn  or  plaited  in  various  ways,  ac 
cording  to  fancy  ;  they  do  not  wear  ruffles  at  all, 
and  as  for  elbows,  Anna,  ours  would  be  alabaster, 
compared  to  some  of  the  ladies  who  follow  the 
fashion ;  black  or  a  colored  ribbon  is  pinned  round 
the  bare  arm,  between  the  elbow  and  the  sleeve. 
Some  new-fashioned  slippers  for  ladies  have  come 
made  of  various  colored  kid  or  morocco,  with  small 
silver  clasps  sewed  on ;  they  are  very  handsome,  and 
make  the  feet  look  remarkably  small  and  neat 
Everybody  thinks  the  millinery  last  received  the 
most  tasty  seen  for  a  long  time. 

All  our  beaux  are  well ;  the  amiable  Chevalier  is 
perfectly  recovered,  and  handsomer  than  ever.  You 
can  have  no  idea,  my  dear  girl,  what  pleasant  times 
I  have ;  there  is  the  charming  Chevalier,  the  divine 
Santana,  the  jolly  Vicar,  the  witty  and  agreeable 
Fatio,  the  black-eyed  Lord  Henry,  the  soft,  love- 
making  Count,  the  giggling,  foolish  Duke,  and  some 
times  the  modest,  good  Meclare,  who  are  at  our 
house  every  day.  We  have  fine  riding  parties  and 
musical  frolics. 


7.    A   Bride   in    New  York  a  Hun 
dred  Years   ago 

(1800) 

MY  head  is  almost  turned,  and  yet  I  am  very 
happy.  I  am  enraptured  with  New  York.  You 
cannot  imagine  anything  half  so  beautiful  as  Broad- 


No.  7] 


U^edding    Tour 


21 


way,  and  I  am  sure  you  would  say  I  was  more  romantic 
than  ever,  if  I  should  attempt  to  describe  the  Battery,  — 
the  fine  water  pros 
pect, —  you.  can  have 
no  idea  how  refresh 
ing  in  a  warm  evening. 
The  gardens  we  have 
notyetvisited;  indeed, 
we  have  so  many  de 
lightful  things  to  see 
'twill  take  me  forever. 
My  husband  declares 
he  takes  as  much 
pleasure  in  showing 
them  to  me  as  I  do 
in  seeing  them ;  you 
would  believe  it  if 
you  saw  him. 

I  went  shopping 
yesterday,  and  'tis  a 
fact  that  the  little 
white  satin  Quaker 
bonnets,  cap-crowns, 
lined  with  pink  or  blue 
or  white,  are  the  most 
fashionable  that  are  worn.  But  I'll  not  have  one,  for 
if  any  of  my  old  acquaintance  should  meet  me  in  the 
street,  they  would  laugh :  I  would  if  I  were  they. 

I  have  been  to  two  of  the  Columbia  gardens,  near 
the  Battery,  a  most  romantic  place,  it  is  enclosed  in 
a  circular  form  and  has  little  rooms  and  boxes  all 
around,  with  chairs  and  tables,  these  full  of  company  ; 
the  trees  are  all  hung  with  lamps,  twinkling  through 
the  branches ;  in  the  centre  is  a  pretty  little  building 


A  BRIDE'S  BONNET. 


22  In  Town  [NO.  7 

with  a  fountain  playing  continually,  and  the  rays  of 
the  lamps  on  the  drops  of  water  gave  it  a  cool 
sparkling  appearance  that  was  delightful.  This  lit 
tle  building,  which  has  a  kind  of  canopy  and  pillars 
all  around  the  garden,  had  festoons  of  colored  lamps, 
that  at  a  distance  looked  like  large  brilliant  stars 
seen  through  the  branches ;  and  placed  all  around 
were  marble  busts,  beautiful  little  figures  of  Diana, 
Cupid  and  Venus,  which  by  the  glimmering  of  the 
lamps,  partly  concealed  by  the  foliage,  give  you  an 
idea  of  enchantment. 

As  we  strolled  through  the  trees,  we  passed  a  box 
that  Miss  Watts  was  in.  She  called  to  us,  and  we 
went  in,  and  had  a  charming  refreshing  glass  of  ice 
cream,  which  has  chilled  me  ever  since.  They  have 
a  fine  orchestra  and  have  concerts  here  sometimes. 

We  went  on  toward  the  Battery.  This  is  a  large 
promenade  by  the  shore  of  the  North  River :  there 
are  rows  and  clusters  of  trees  in  every  part,  and  a 
large  walk  along  the  shore,  almost  over  the  water, 
gives  you  such  a  fresh  delightful  air,  that  every  even 
ing  in  summer  it  is  crowded  with  company.  Here, 
too,  they  have  music  playing  in  boats  on  the  water 
of  a  moonlight  night. 

I  am  in  raptures,  as  you  may  imagine,  and  if  I  had 
not  grown  sober  before  I  came  to  this  wonderful 
place,  it  would  have  turned  my  head. 


NO.  s]  Philadelphia    Streets  2  3 

8.    Philadelphia   Streets   in    1802 

BY  DR.  FRANCOIS  ANDRE  MICHAUD  (1802) 

I  QUITTED  New  York  on  the  8th  of  June,  1802,  for 
Philadelphia.     The  distance   is   one    hundred  miles. 
The  stages  perform  this  journey,  some  in  one  day, 
and  some  in  a  day  and  a  half.     The  price  is  five 
piastres  for  each  person.     At  the  taverns  where  the 
stages    stop,  one   piastre  is  paid  for   dinner,  half   a   Piastre= 
one  for  supper  or  breakfast,  and  the  same  for  a  bed.   dollar- 
The   whole   of    the   interval   which    separates  these 
two   cities  is  cultivated,  and  the  farms  adjoin   each 
other.     Nine  miles   from    New   York  is   Newark,  a 
very  pretty  little  town,  in  New   Jersey.     The  fields 
with  which  it  is  surrounded,  are  planted  with  apple 
trees :  the  cider  made  here  is  reckoned  the  best  in 
the  United  States,  but  I  think  it  greatly  inferior  to 
what  is  drank  at  Saint  Loo,  Coutances,  or  Bayeux.   French 
Among  the  other  small  towns  met  with  on  this  road   towns- 
is  Trenton.     Its  situation  on  the  Delaware,  and  the 
beautiful  country  around  it  must  render  it  a  delight 
ful  retreat. 

Philadelphia  is  situated  on  the  Delaware,  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  miles  from  the  sea.  It  is  at  present 
the  largest,  the  handsomest,  and  the  most  populous 
city  of  the  United  States.  There  is  not  perhaps  one 
on  the  old  continent  built  on  so  regular  a  plan.  Its 
streets,  which  intersect  each  other  at  right  angles,  are 
from  forty-five  to  fifty  feet  wide,  except  that  in  the  The  present 
middle  of  the  city  which  is  twice  that  breadth.  In  it  Broadstreet- 
is  built  the  market  which  is  worthy  of  notice  for  its 
extent  and  the  extreme  neatness  preserved  in  it.  It 
is  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  occupies  about  one- 


24  In  Town  [NO.  g 

third  of  its  length.  The  streets  are  paved,  and  are 
provided  with  broad  bricked  footways.  Pumps,  placed 
on  each  side  of  them  at  about  one  hundred  yards  from 
each  other,  supply  an  abundance  of  water.  Each  of 
them  has  a  lamp  on  its  top.  Several  of  the  streets 
have  Italian  poplars  of  a  very  handsome  appearance 
planted  before  the  houses. 

The  population  of  Philadelphia  is  constantly  in 
creasing :  in  1 749,  there  were  11,000  inhabitants;  in 
1785,  40,000;  and,  at  present,  the  number  is  esti 
mated  at  70,000.  The  few  negroes  found  here  are 
free,  and  are  mostly  employed  as  domestics.  Provi 
sions  are  a  little  cheaper  at  Philadelphia  than  at  New 
York ;  the  charge  for  boarding  is,  consequently,  only 
from  six  to  ten  piastres  a  week.  In  Philadelphia  we 
do  not  meet  with  any  beggars,  or  any  person  bearing 
the  stamp  -of  misery  in  his  countenance ;  this  dis 
tressing  sight,  so  common  in  the  cities  of  Europe,  is 
unknown  in  America ;  the  love  of  and  the  necessity 
for  work,  the  scarcity  of  hands,  the  high  price  of 
labour,  an  active  commerce,  just  ideas  —  all  these  are 
causes  which  oppose  the  introduction  of  mendicity, 
either  in  the  towns  or  in  the  country. 


9.    Society   in    Mexico 

BY  MAJOR  ZEBULON  PIKE  (1806) 

FOR  hospitality,  generosity,  docility,  and  sobriety, 
the  people  of  New  Spain  exceed  any  nation  perhaps 
on  the  globe :  but  in  national  energy,  or  patriotism, 
enterprise  of  character,  and  independence  of  soul, 
they  are  perhaps  the  most  deficient.  Yet  there  are 


NO.  9]  Society  in  Mexico 


25 


men  who  have  displayed  bravery  to  a  surprizing 
degree,  and  the  Europeans  who  are  there,  cherish 
with  delight  the  idea  of  their  gallant  ancestry.  Their 
women  have  black  eyes  and  hair,  fine  teeth,  and  are 
generally  brunettes.  I  met  but  one  exception  to  this 
rule  at  Chihuahua,  a  fair  lady,  and  she  by  way  of 
distinction  was  called  the  girl  with  light  hair.  Their 
dresses  are  generally  short  jackets  and  petticoats,  and 
high-heel  shoes,  without  any  head  dress :  over  this 
they  have  a  silk  wrapper  which  they  always  wear, 
and  when  in  the  presence  of  men  affect  to  bring  it 
over  their  faces ;  but  as  we  approached  the  Atlantic 
and  our  frontiers,  we  saw  several  ladies  who  wore  the 
gowns  of  our  country  women,  which  they  conceive  to 
be  more  elegant  than  their  ancient  costume. 

The  lower  class  of  the  men  are  generally  dressed 
in  broad-brimmed  hats,  short  coats,  large  waistcoats 
and  small  clothes,  always  open  at  the  knees,  owing,  I 
suppose,  to  the  greater  freedom  it  gives  to  the  limbs 
on  horseback,  a  kind  of  leather  boot  or  wrapper 
bound  round  the  leg,  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  our 


A   SPANISH   MISSION   CHURCH. 


26  In   Town  [NO.  9 

frontier  men's  leggins,  and  gartered  on.     The  boot 

is  of  a  soft  pliable  leather,  but  not  coloured.     In  the 

eastern  provinces  the  dragoons  wear  over  this  wrap- 

Gaffs=the      per  a  sort  of  jack-boot  made  of  seal  leather,  to  which 

metal  points    are  f  astened  the  spurs  by  a  rivet,  the  gaffs  of  which 

on  a  spur.  .  .      ,     .     .  1          T-»         i 

are  sometimes  near  an  inch  in  length.  But  the  spurs 
of  the  gentlemen  and  officers,  although  clumsy  to  our 
ideas,  are  frequently  ornamented  with  raised  silver 
work  on  the  shoulders,  and  the  strap  embroidered 
with  silver  and  gold  thread. 

They  are  always  ready  to  mount  their  horses,  on 
which  the  inhabitants  of  the  internal  provinces  spend 
nearly  half  the  day.  This  description  will  apply  gen 
erally  for  the  dress  of  all  the  men  of  the  provinces 
for  the  lower  class,  but  in  the  towns,  amongst  the 
more  fashionable  ranks,  they  dress  after  the  Euro 
pean  or  United  States  mode,  with  not  more  distinc 
tion  than  we  see  in  our  cities  from  one  six  months  to 
another.  Both  men  and  women  have  remarkably 
fine  hair,  and  pride  themselves  in  the  display  of  it. 

Their  amusements  are  music,  singing,  dancing,  and 
gambling;  the  latter  is  strictly  prohibited,  but  the 
prohibition  is  not  much  attended  to.  The  dance  is 
performed  by  one  man  and  two  women,  who  beat 
time  to  the  music,  which  is  soft,  but  sometimes 
changes  to  a  lively  gay  air.  The  fandango  is  danced 
in  various  figures  and  numbers.  The  minuet  is  still 
danced  by  the  superior  class  only ;  the  music  made 
use  of  is  the  guitar  and  violin,  and  singers  accompany 
the  music  with  their  hands  and  voices. 

Their  games  are  cards,  billiards,  horse-racing,  and 
cock-fighting,  the  first  and  last  of  which  are  carried 
to  the  most  extravagant  lengths,  the  parties  losing 
and  winning  immense  sums.  The  present  Comman- 


NO.  g]  Society  in  Mexico  27 

dant-General  is  very  severe  with  his  officers  in  these 
respects,  frequently  sending  them  to  some  frontier 
post,  in  confinement  for  months,  for  no  other  fault 
than  having  lost  large  sums  at  play. 

At  every  town  of  consequence  is  a  public  walk, 
where  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  meet  and  sing  songs, 
which  are  always  on  the  subject  of  love,  or  the  social 
board.  The  ladies  have  fine  voices,  and  sing  in 
French,  Italian,  and  Spanish,  the  whole  company 
joining  in  the  chorus.  In  their  houses  the  ladies  play 
on  the  guitar,  and  generally  accompany  it  with  their 
voices.  They  either  sit  down  on  the  carpet  cross- 
legged,  or  loll  on  a  sofa.  To  sit  upright  in  a  chair 
appeared  to  put  them  to  great  inconvenience,  and 
although  the  better  class  would  sometimes  do  it  on 
our  first  introduction,  they  soon  demanded  liberty  to 
follow  their  old  habits. 

In  their  eating  and  drinking  they  are  remarkably 
temperate.  Early  in  the  morning  you  receive  a  dish 
of  chocolate  and  a  cake  ;  at  twelve  you  dine  on  sev 
eral  dishes  of  meat,  fowls,  and  fish ;  after  which  you 
have  a  variety  of  confectionary,  and  indeed  an  elegant 
dessert :  then  drink  a  few  glasses  of  wine,  sing  a  few 
songs,  and  retire  to  take  the  siesta,  or  afternoon  nap, 
which  is  done  by  rich  and  poor;  and  about  two 
o'clock  the  windows  and  doors  are  all  closed,  the 
streets  deserted,  and  the  stillness  of  midnight  reigns 
throughout.  About  four  o'clock  they  rise,  wash,  and 
dress,  and  prepare  for  the  dissipation  of  the  night. 
About  eleven  o'clock  some  refreshments  are  offered, 
but  few  take  any,  except  a  little  wine  and  water  and 
a  little  candied  sugar. 

The  beggars  of  -the  City  of  Mexico  alone  are  esti 
mated  at  sixty  thousand  souls ;  what  must  be  the 


28  In   Town  [NO.  10 

number  through  the  whole  kingdom?  And  to  what 
reason  can  it  be  owing,  that,  in  a  country  superior  to 
any  in  the  world  for  riches  in  gold  and  silver,  produc 
ing  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  most  of  its  luxuries, 
there  should  be  such  a  vast  proportion  of  the  inhabit 
ants  in  want  of  bread  and  clothing  ?  It  can  only  be 
accounted  for  by  the  tyranny  of  the  government,  and 
the  luxuries  of  the  rich  :  the  government  striving  by 
all  the  local  restrictions  possible  to  be  invented,  with 
out  absolutely  driving  the  people  to  desperation,  to 
keep  Spanish  America  dependent  on  Europe. 


10.    Anecdotes   of  Daniel   Webster 

BY  JOSIAH  QUINCY  (1826) 

ON  Friday,  February  17,  1820,  I  find  an  account  of 
a  dinner  at  Mr.  Webster's.  The  occasion  was  abso 
lutely  informal  and  very  pleasant.  Webster  carved 
the  beef  and  was  in  a  charming  humor.  He  told 
some  good  lawyer's  stories,  and  gave  us  a  graphic 
account  of  the  burning  of  his  house  in  Portsmouth, 
in  the  winter  of  1813.  "Though  I  was  in  Washing 
ton  at  the  time,"  he  said,  "  I  believe  I  know  more 
about  the  fire  than  many  who  were  actively  at  work 
on  the  spot.  Besides,  here  is  Mrs.  Webster,  who  was 
burned  out.  She  will  correct  me  if  I  am  wrong." 
He  told  us  that  all  he  possessed  in  the  world  was 
lost,  there  being  no  insurance  upon  house  or  furniture  ; 
but  as  more  than  two  hundred  buildings  were  con 
sumed  in  the  fire,  some  of  them  belonging  to  those 
less  able  to  make  a  living  than  himself,  he  felt  he  had 
no  right  to  murmur.  He  was,  nevertheless,  troubled 


NO.  zoj  Daniel  Webster  2  g 

about  the  loss  of  his  library.  His  books  were  full  of 
notes  and  associations,  and  could  not  be  replaced. 

The  sweet  and  playful  manner  of  Webster  is  fixed 
indelibly  upon  my  memory.  That  manner  I  cannot 
give,  and  it  was  everything.  He  was  on  the  happiest 
terms  with  the  world,  which  had  crowned  him  with  its 
choicest  blessing,  and  stood  forth  in  all  respects  as  an 
example  and  a  hero  among  men. 

The  conversation  was  running  upon  the  importance 
of  doing  small  things  thoroughly  and  with  the  full 
measure  of  one's  ability.  This  Webster  illustrated 
by  an  account  of  some  petty  insurance  case  that  was 
brought  to  him  when  a  young  lawyer  in  Portsmouth. 
Only  a  small  amount  was  involved,  and  a  twenty- 
dollar  fee  was  all  that  was  promised.  He  saw  that, 
to  do  his  clients  full  justice,  a  journey  to  Boston,  to 
consult  the  Law  Library,  would  be  desirable.  He 
would  be  out  of  pocket  by  such  an  expedition,  and 
for  his  time  he  would  receive  no  adequate  compensa 
tion.  After  a  little  hesitation,  he  determined  to  do 
his  very  best,  cost  what  it  might.  He  accordingly 
went  to  Boston,  looked  up  the  authorities,  and  gained 
the  case.  Years  after  this,  Webster,  then  famous, 
was  passing  through  New  York.  An  important 
insurance  case  was  to  be  tried  the  day  after  his 
arrival,  and  one  of  the  counsel  had  been  suddenly 
taken  ill.  Money  was  no  object,  and  Webster  was 
begged  to  name  his  terms  and  conduct  the  case.  "  I 
told  them,"  said  Mr.  Webster,  "that  it  was  pre 
posterous  to  expect  me  to  prepare  a  legal  argument 
at  a  few  hours'  notice.  They  insisted,  however,  that 
I  should  look  at  the  papers ;  and  this,  after  some 
demur,  I  consented  to  do.  Well,  it  was  my  old 
twenty-dollar  case  over  again,  and,  as  I  never  forget 


3  o  In  Town  [NO.  10 

anything,  I  had  all  the  authorities  at  my  fingers' 
ends.  The  court  knew  that  I  had  no  time  to  pre 
pare,  and  were  astonished  at  the  range  of  my  acquire 
ments.  So,  you  see,  I  was  handsomely  paid  both  in 
fame  and  money  for  that  journey  to  Boston ;  and  the 
moral  is,  that  good  work  is  rewarded  in  the  end, 
though,  to  be  sure,  one's  own  self-approval  should  be 
enough." 

I  may  be  pardoned  for  taking  from  my  journal  of 
later  date  another  after-dinner  story  which  I  heard 
Mr.  Webster  tell  with  great  dramatic  effect.  One  of 
the  party  mentioned  that  a  president  of  one  of  the 
Boston  banks  had  that  morning  redeemed  a  counter 
feit  bill  for  fifty  dollars,  never  doubting  that  his  signa 
ture  upon  it  was  genuine.  This  incident  led  to  a 
discussion  of  the  value  of  expert  testimony  in  regard 
to  writing,  the  majority  of  our  company  holding  it  in 
little  esteem.  Mr.  Webster  then  came  to  the  defence 
of  this  sort  of  testimony,  saying  that  he  had  found.it 
of  much  value,  although  experts  were  like  children 
who  saw  more  than  they  were  able  to  explain  to 
others.  "  And  this  reminds  me,"  he  said,  "  of  my 
story  of  the  tailor.  It  was  a  capital  case  that  was 
being  tried,  and  the  tailor's  testimony  was  very  im 
portant.  He  had  been  called  to  prove  that  he  made 
a  certain  coat  for  the  criminal  ;  and  he  swore  to  the 
fact  stoutly.  Upon  cross-examination  he  was  asked 
how  he  knew  that  the  coat  was  his  work.  '  Why, 
I  know  it  by  my  stitches,  of  course.'  'Are  your 
stitches  longer  than  those  of  other  tailors?'  'Oh, 
no  !  '  '  Well,  then,  are  they  shorter  ? '  '  Not  a  bit 
shorter.'  '  Anything  peculiar  about  them  ? '  k  Well, 
I  don't  believe  there  is.'  '  Then  how  do  you  dare  to 
come  here  and  swear  that  they  are  yours  ? '  This 


NO.  n]  Turkey-shooting  3 1 

seemed  to  be  a  poser,  but  the  witness  met  it  trium 
phantly.  Casting  a  look  of  contempt  upon  his  ex 
aminer,  the  tailor  raised  both  hands  to  heaven  and 
exclaimed,  '  Good  Lord !  as  if  I  didn't  know  my  own 
stitches!'  The  jury  believed  him,  and  they  were 
right  in  doing  so.  The  fact  is,  we  continually  build 
our  judgment  upon  details  too  fine  for  distinct  cog 
nizance.  And  these  nice  shades  of  sensibility  are 
trustworthy,  although  we  can  give  no  good  account 
of  them.  We  can  swear  to  our  stitches,  notwith 
standing  they  seem  to  be  neither  longer  nor  shorter 
than  those  of  other  people." 


ii.    A    Kentucky   Marksman 

BY  JOSIAH  QUINCY  (1826) 

I  KNEW  Larz  Anderson,  of  Cincinnati,  well  in  col 
lege,  and  remember  when  he  arrived  in  Cambridge, 
a  small,  flaxen-haired  boy,  accompanied  by  two  com 
panions  from  the  distant  West.  They  had  come  all 
the  way  from  Kentucky  on  horseback,  their  effects 
being  borne  in  saddle-bags  behind  the  riders.  There 
was  no  public  conveyance,  the  roads  were  execrable, 
and  this  manly  mode  of  travelling  was  then  the  only 
way  of  getting  to  Harvard. 

Oxford  Street,  in  Cambridge,  is  at  present  a  very 
decorous  thoroughfare,  not  at  all  adapted  to  the  wild 
sport  of  turkey-shooting,  for  which  purpose  the 
ground  it  occupies  was  used  when  I  was  in  college. 
We  stood  with  our  backs  to  the  site  of  Memorial  Hall, 
and  discharged  rifles,  at  long  range,  at  a  turkey 
which  was  dimly  discernible  in  the  distance.  A  small 


In  Town 


[No.  ii 


fee  was  demanded  for  the  privilege  of  shooting,  and 
the  turkey  was  to  be  given  to  any  one  who  could  hit 
it.  But,  except  for  some  chance  shot,  like  that  made 
by  Mr.  Tupman  when  out  rook-shooting,  it  was  safe 
to  predict  that  nobody  would  hit  it.  The  usual  end 
of  a  Harvard  turkey-shooting  was  the  departure  of 
the  proprieter  of  the  turkeys  with  all  his  birds  and 
all  our  sixpences.  Still  there  was  the  excitement  of 
a  lottery  about  it,  if  nothing  else.  The  ball,  if  dis 
charged,  must  strike  somewhere ;  and,  if  so,  why 
might  it  not  happen  to  strike  the  turkey  ?  The  logic 
was  simply  irresistible.  A  fowl  of  that  size  would 
be  a  most  desirable  addition  to  the  meagre  fare  fur 
nished  by  the  college  commons  ;  and  so  the  rifles 
cracked,  with  small  result  to  the  students  and  splen 
did  profits  to  the  turkey-man.  One  day  a  little  tow- 
headed  fellow  appeared  on  the  field,  and  desired  to 
take  part  in  the  sport.  Though  he  seemed  almost 
too  young  to  be  trusted  with  a  rifle,  the  master  of  the 

fowls  (foreseeing  future 
gains)  was  quite  willing 
he  should  try.  He  must 
first  receive  proper  in 
structions  about  the  hold 
ing  and  pointing  of  his 
piece,  and  then  there 
would  really  be  no  dan 
ger.  Young  Larz  re 
ceived  the  directions 
with  great  good  nature, 
raised  the  rifle,  and  down 
went  the  turkey.  The 
man  stared  in  amaze- 
A  WILD  TURKEY.  ment,  and  then  broke 


NO.  12]  ^4  Runaway  3  3 

into  a  smile.  "Try  it  again,  young  one,"  said  he. 
"'Most  any  one  can  throw  sixes  once,  you  know." 
Another  bird  was  procured,  the  ball  flew  to  the  mark 
with  the  same  result,  and  a  second  turkey  was  added 
to  the  banquet  upon  which  his  friends  would  regale. 
"Well,  where  in "  —  the  United  States,  let  us  call 
it  —  "  did  you  come  from  ?  "  exclaimed  the  master  of 
fowls,  who  began  to  realize  that  his  occupation  was 
gone. 

"  I  came  from  the  State  of  Kentucky,  sir,"  answered 
Larz  Anderson,  proudly  ;  "  and  next  time  you  meet  a 
gentleman  from  that  State,  just  remember  there's  not 
much  you  can  tell  him  about  a  rifle.  That's  all." 


12.    The  Little  Boy  that  ran    away 
from    Providence 

BY  LYDIA  MARIA  CHILD  (1842) 

DOCTOR  HAWKINS  of  Boston,  coming  home  to 
dine  one  day  found  a  very  bright-looking  handsome 
mulatto  on  the  steps,  apparently  about  seven  or  eight 
years  old.  As  he  opened  the  door,  the  boy  glided  in, 
as  if  it  were  his  home.  "What  do  you  want?"  said 
the  doctor.  The  child  looked  up  with  smiling  con 
fidence,  and  answered,  "  I  am  a  little  boy  that  ran 
away  from  Providence ;  and  I  want  some  dinner ; 
and  I  thought  maybe  you  would  give  me  some."  His 
radiant  face,  and  child-like  freedom  worked  like  a 
charm.  He  had  a  good  dinner,  and  remained  several 
days,  becoming  more  and  more  the  pet  of  the  whole 
household.  He  said  he  had  been  cruelly  treated  by 


34  In  Town  [NO.  xa 

somebody  in  Providence,  and  had  run  away ;  but  the 
people  he  described  could  not  be  found.  The  doctor 
thought  it  would  not  do  to  have  him  growing  up  in 
idleness,  and  he  tried  to  find  a  place  where  he  could 
run  of  errands,  clean  knives,  &c.  for  his  living.  An 
hour  after  this  was  mentioned,  the  boy  was  missing. 
In  a  few  weeks,  they  heard  of  him  in  the  opposite 
part  of  the  city,  sitting  on  a  door-step  at  dinner-time. 
When  the  door  opened,  he  walked  in,  smiling,  and 
said,  "  I  am  a  little  boy  that  ran  away  from  Provi 
dence  ;  and  I  want  some  dinner,  and  I  thought  maybe 
you  would  give  me  some."  He  was  not  mistaken  this 
time  either.  The  heart  that  trusted  so  completely 
received  a  cordial  welcome.  After  a  time,  it  was 
again  proposed  to  find  some  place  at  service ;  and 
straightway  this  human  butterfly  was  off,  no  one 
knew  whither. 

For  several  months  no  more  was  heard  of  him. 
But  one  bright  winter  day,  his  first  benefactor  found 
him  seated  on  the  steps  of  a  house  in  Beacon-street. 
"  Why,  Tom,  where  did  you  come  from  ?  "  said  he. 
"  I  came  from  Philadelphia."  "  How  upon  earth  did 
you  get  here  ?  "  "  I  heard  folks  talk  about  New- York, 
and  I  thought  I  should  like  to  see  it.  So  I  went  on 
board  a  steamboat ;  and  when  it  put  off,  the  captain 
asked  me  who  I  was ;  and  I  told  him  that  I  was  a 
little  boy  that  ran  away  from  Providence,  and  I 
wanted  to  go  to  New-York,  but  I  hadn't  any  money. 
'You  little  rascal/  says  he,  '  I'll  throw  you  overboard.' 
'  I  don't  believe  you  will,'  said  I  ;  and  he  didn't.  I 
told  him  I  was  hungry,  and  he  gave  me  something  to 
eat,  and  made  up  a  nice  little  bed  for  me.  When  I 
got  to  New- York,  I  went  and  sat  down  on  a  door-step  ; 
and  when  the  gentleman  came  home  to  dinner,  I 


NO.  12]  A  Runaway  35 

went  in,  and  told  him  that  I  was  a  little  boy  that  ran 
away  from  Providence,  and  I  was  hungry.  So  they 
gave  me  something  to  eat,  and  made  up  a  nice  little 
bed  for  me,  and  let  me  stay  there.  But  I  wanted  to 
see  Philadelphia ;  so  I  went  into  a  steam-boat ;  and 
when  they  asked  me  who  I  was,  I  told  them  that  I 
was  a  little  boy  that  ran  away  from  Providence.  They 
said  I  had  no  business  there,  but  they  gave  me  an 
orange.  When  I  got  to  Philadelphia,  I  sat  down  on 
a  door-step,  and  when  the  gentleman  came  home  to 
dinner,  I  told  him  I  was  a  little  boy  that  ran  away 
from  Providence,  and  I  thought  perhaps  he  would 
give  me  something  to  eat.  So  they  gave  me  a  good 
dinner,  and  made  me  up  a  nice  little  bed.  Then  I 
wanted  to  come  back  to  Boston  ;  and  every  body  gave 
me  something  to  eat,  and  made  me  up  a  nice  little 
bed.  And  I  sat  down  on  this  door-step,  and  when  the 
lady  asked  me  what  I  wanted,  I  told  her  I  was  a  little 
boy  that  ran  away  from  Providence,  and  I  was  hungry. 
So  she  gave  me  something  to  eat,  and  made  me  up  a 
nice  little  bed ;  and  I  stay  here,  and  do  her  errands 
sometimes.  Every  body  is  very  good  to  me,  and  I 
like  every  body." 

He  looked  up  with  the  most  'sunny  gaiety,  and 
striking  his  hoop  as  he  spoke,  went  down  the  street 
like  an  arrow.  He  disappeared  soon  after,  probably 
in  quest  of  new  adventures.  I  have  never  heard  of 
him  since :  and  sometimes  a  painful  fear  passes 
through  my  mind  that  the  kidnappers,  prowling 
about  all  our  large  towns,  have  carried  him  into 
slavery. 


36  In    Town  [NO.  i3 

13.    New  Years  Day  in  New  York 

BY  LYDIA  MARIA  CHILD  (1842) 

NEW  YORK  welcomes  the  new  year,  in  much  the 
same  style  that  she  does  every  thing  else.  She  is 
not  prone,  as  the  Quakers  say,  "  to  get  into  the  still 
ness,"  to  express  any  of  her  emotions.  Such  a  hub 
bub  as  was  kept  up  on  the  night  of  the  3ist,  I  never 
heard.  Such  a  firing  out  of  the  old  year,  and  such  a 
firing  in  of  the  new !  Fourth  of  July  in  Boston  is 
nothing  compared  to  it.  The  continual  discharge  of 
guns  and  pistols  prevented  my  reading  or  writing  in 
peace,  and  I  took  refuge  in  bed  ;  but  every  five  min 
utes  a  lurid  flash  darted  across  the  walls,  followed 
by  the  hateful  crash  of  fire-arms.  If  any  good  thing 
is  expressed  by  that  sharp  voice,  it  lies  beyond  the 
power  of  my  imagination  to  discover  it ;  why  men 
should  choose  it  for  the  utterance  of  joy,  is  more  than 
I  can  tell. 

The  racket  of  these  powder-devilkins  kept  me 
awake  till  two  o'clock.  At  five,  I  was  roused  by  a 
stout  Hibernian  voice,  almost  under  my  window, 
shouting  "Pa-ther!  Pa-ther ! "  Peter  did  not  an 
swer,  and  off  went  a  pistol.  Upon  this,  Peter  was 
fain  to  put  his  head  out  of  the  window,  and  inquire 
what  was  wanted.  "  A  bright  New  Year  to  ye, 
Pa-ther.  Get  up  and  open  the  door." 

The  show  in  the  shop-windows,  during  the  week 
between  Christmas  and  New  Year's,  was  splendid,  I 
assure  you.  All  that  Parisian  taste,  or  English  skill 
could  furnish,  was  spread  out  to  tempt  the  eye.  How 
I  did  want  the  wealth  of  Rothschild,  that  I  might 
make  all  the  world  a  present,  and  then,  methinks,  I 


No.  13] 


Old  New   York 


37 


could  still  long  for  another  world  to  endow.  The 
happiness  of  Heaven  must  consist  in  loving  and  giv 
ing.  What  else  is  there  worth  living  for  ?  I  have 
often  involuntarily  applied  to  myself  a  remark  made 
by  Madam  Roland.  "  Reflecting  upon  what  part  I 
was  fitted  to  perform  in  the  world,"  says  she,  "  I  could 
never  think  of  any  that  quite  satisfied  me,  but  that 
of  Divine  Providence."  To  some  this  may  sound 


NEW   YORK    IN    l82O. 

blasphemous ;  it  was  however  merely  the  spontane 
ous  and  child-like  utterance  of  a  loving  and  liberal 
soul. 

In  New  York,  they  observe  this  festival  after  the 
old  Dutch  fashion ;  and  the  Dutch,  you  know,  were 
famous  lovers  of  good  eating.  No  lady,  that  is  a 
lady,  will  be  out  on  the  streets  on  the  first  of  Janu 
ary.  Every  woman,  that  is  "  anybody,"  stays  at 


38  In  Town  [NO.  i3 

home,  dressed  in  her  best,  and  by  her  side  is  a  table 
covered  with  cakes,  preserves,  wines,  oysters,  hot 
coffee,  &c.  ;  and  as  every  gentleman  is  in  honour 
bound  to  call  on  every  lady,  whose  acquaintance 
he  does  not  intend  to  cut,  the  amount  of  eating  and 
drinking  done  by  some  fashionable  beaux  must  of 
course  be  very  considerable.  The  number  of  calls  is 
a  matter  of  pride  and  boasting  among  ladies,  and 
there  is,  of  course,  considerable  rivalry  in  the  magnifi 
cence  and  variety  of  the  eating  tables.  This  custom 
is  eminently  Dutch  in  its  character,  and  will  pass 
away  before  a  higher  civilization. 

To  furnish  forth  this  treat,  the  shops  vied  with 
each  other  to  the  utmost.  Confectionery  abounded 
in  the  shape  of  every  living  thing ;  beside  many 
things  nowhere  to  be  found,  not  even  among  gnomes, 
Merrows=  or  fairies,  or  uncouth  merrows  of  the  sea.  Cakes 
mermaids.  were  of  every  conceivable  shape  —  pyramids,  obe 
lisks,  towers,  pagodas,  castles,  &c.  Some  frosted 
loaves  nestled  lovingly  in  a  pretty  basket  of  sugar 
eggs ;  others  were  garlanded  with  flowers,  or  sur 
mounted  by  cooing  doves,  or  dancing  cupids.  Alto 
gether,  they  made  a  pretty  show  in  Broadway  —  too 
pretty  —  since  the  object  was  to  minister  to  heartless 
vanity,  or  tempt  a  sated  appetite. 

There  is  one  lovely  feature  in  this  annual  festival. 
It  is  a  season  when  all  past  neglect,  all  family  feuds, 
all  heart-burning  and  estrangement  among  friends 
may  be  forgotten  and  laid  aside  for  ever.  They  who 
have  not  spoken  for  years  may  renew  acquaintance, 
without  any  unpleasant  questions  asked,  if  they  sig 
nify  a  wish  to  do  so  by  calling  on  the  first  of  January. 


NO.  i4]  House-cleaning  3  g 

1 4.    House-cleaning 

BY  FRANCIS  HOPKINSON  (1785) 

WHEN  a  young  couple  are  about  to  enter  on  the 
matrimonial  state,  a  never  failing  article  in  the 
marriage  treaty  is,  that  the  lady  shall  have  and  enjoy 
the  free  and  unmolested  exercise  of  the  rights  of 
white-washing,  with  all  its  ceremonials,  privileges, 
and  appurtenances.  You  will  wonder  what  this 
privilege  of  white-washing  is.  I  will  endeavour  to 
give  you  an  idea  of  the  ceremony,  as  I  have  seen  it 
performed. 

There  is  no  season  of  the  year  in  which  the  lady 
may  not,  if  she  pleases,  claim  her  privilege ;  but  the 
latter  end  of  May  is  generally  fixed  upon  for  the 
purpose.  The  attentive  husband  may  judge  by  cer 
tain  prognostics,  when  the  storm  is  nigh  at  hand. 
If  the  lady  grows  uncommonly  fretful,  finds  fault  with 
the  servants,  is  discontented  with  the  children,  and 
complains  much  of  the  nastiness  of  everything  about 
her :  these  are  symptoms  which  ought  not  to  be  neg 
lected,  yet  they  sometimes  go  off  without  any  further 
effect.  But  if,  when  the  husband  rises  in  the  morn 
ing,  he  should  observe  in  the  yard,  a  wheelbarrow, 
with  a  quantity  of  lime  in  it,  or  should  see  certain 
buckets  filled  with  a  solution  of  lime  in  water,  there 
is  no  time  for  hesitation.  He  immediately  locks  up 
the  apartment  or  closet  where  his  papers,  and  private 
property  are  kept,  and  putting  the  key  in  his  pocket, 
betakes  himself  to  flight.  A  husband,  however  be 
loved,  becomes  a  perfect  nuisance  during  this  season 
of  feminine  rage.  His  authority  is  superseded,  his 
commission  suspended,  and  the  very  scullion  who 


40  In  Town  [NO.  x4 

cleans  the  brasses  in  the  kitchen  becomes  of  more 
importance  than  him.  He  has  nothing  for  it  but 
to  abdicate,  for  a  time,  and  run  from  an  evil  which 
he  can  neither  prevent  nor  modify. 

The  husband  gone,  the  ceremony  begins.  The 
walls  are  stripped  of  their  furniture  —  paintings, 
prints,  and  looking-glasses  lie  in  huddled  heaps 
about  the  floors :  the  curtains  are  torn  from  their 
testers,  the  beds  crammed  into  windows,  chairs  and 
tables,  bedsteads  and  cradles  crowd  the  yard ;  and 
the  garden  fence  bends  beneath  the  weight  of  car 
pets,  blankets,  cloth  cloaks,  old  coats,  under-petti- 
coats,  and  ragged  breeches. 

This  ceremony  completed,  and  the  house  thor 
oughly  evacuated,  the  next  operation  is  to  smear  the 
walls  and  ceilings  with  brushes,  dipped  in  a  solution 
of  lime  called  white-wash  ;  to  pour  buckets  of  water 
over  every  floor,  and  scratch  all  the  partitions  and 
wainscoats  with  hard  brushes,  charged  with  soft 
soap  and  stone-cutter's  sand. 

The  windows  by  no  means  escape  the  general 
Pent-house=  deluge.  A  servant  scrambles  out  upon  the  pent- 
a  shed  or  house,  at  the  risk  of  her  neck,  and  with  a  mug  in 

sloping    roof  •  i  •  111  • 

projecting       her  hand,  and  a  bucket  within  reach,  dashes  innu- 
from  the         merable  gallons   of  water  against  the   glass   panes, 

main  wall  or     .         ,  r  . , 

building.  to  tne  great  annoyance  of  passengers  in  the  street. 
I  have  been  told  that  an  action  at  law  was  once 
brought  against  one  of  these  water  nymphs,  by  a 
person  who  had  a  new  suit  of  clothes  spoiled  by  this 
operation :  but  after  long  argument  it  was  deter 
mined,  that  no  damages  could  be  awarded ;  inas 
much  as  the  defendant  was  in  the  exercise  of  a  legal 
right,  and  not  answerable  for  the  consequences. 
And  so  the  poor  gentleman  was  doubly  non-suited ; 


NO.  i4]  House-cleaning  4.  i 

for  he  lost  both  his  suit  of  clothes  and  his  suit  at 
law. 

These  smearings  and  scratchings,  these  washings 
and  dashings,  being  duly  performed,  the  next  cere 
monial  is  to  cleanse  and  replace  the  distracted  fur 
niture.  You  may  have  seen  a  house-raising,  or  a 
ship-launch  —  recollect,  if  you  can,  the  hurry,  bustle, 
confusion,  and  noise  of  such  a  scene,  and  you  will 
have  some  idea  of  this  cleansing  match.  The  mis 
fortune  is,  that  the  sole  object  is  to  make  things 
clean.  It  matters  not  how  many  useful,  ornamen 
tal,  or  valuable  articles  suffer  mutilation  or  death 
under  the  operation.  A  mahogany  chair  and  a 
carved  frame  undergo  the  same  discipline :  they  are 
to  be  made  clean  at  all  events ;  but  their  preserva 
tion  is  not  worthy  of  attention.  For  instance  :  a  fine 
large  engraving  is  laid  flat  upon  the  floor ;  a  number 
of  smaller  prints  are  "piled  upon  it,  until  the  super 
incumbent  weight  cracks  the  lower  glass — but  this 
is  of  no  importance.  A  valuable  picture  is  placed 
leaning  against  the  sharp  corner  of  a  table;  others 
are  made  to  lean  against  that,  till  the  pressure  of  the 
whole  forces  the  corner  of  the  table  through  the 
canvas  of  the  first.  The  frame  and  glass  of  a  fine 
print  are  to  be  cleaned ;  the  spirit  and  oil  used  on 
this  occasion  are  suffered  to  leak  through  and  deface 
the  engraving  —  no  matter !  If  the  glass  is  clean 
and  the  frame  shines  it  is  sufficient  —  the  rest  is  not 
worthy  of  consideration.  An  able  arithmetician  hath 
made  a  calculation,  founded  on  long  experience,  and 
proved  that  the  losses  and  destruction  incident  to 
two  white-washings  are  equal  to  one  removal  and 
three  removals  equal  to  one  fire. 

This  cleansing  frolic  over,  matters  begin  to  resume 


42  In  Town  [NO.  H 

their  pristine  appearance  ;  the  storm  abates,  and  all 
would  be  well  again :  but  it  is  impossible  that  so 
great  a  convulsion  in  so  small  a  community  should 
pass  over  without  producing  some  consequences. 
For  two  or  three  weeks  after  the  operation,  the  fam 
ily  are  usually  afflicted  with  sore  eyes,  sore  throats, 
or  severe  colds,  occasioned  by  exhalations  from  wet 
floors  and  damp  walls. 


PART    II 

IN   THE   COUNTRY 


15.    A  Visit   to   Mount  Vernon 

BY  BRISSOT  DE  WARVILLE  (1788) 

I  HASTENED  to  arrive  at  Mount  Vernon,  the  seat  of 
General  Washington,  ten  miles  below  Alexandria  on 
the  same  river.  On  this  route  you  traverse  a  consider 
able  wood,  and  after  having  passed  over  two  hills, 
you  discover  a  country  house  of  an  elegant  and 
majestic  simplicity.  It  is  preceded  by  grass  plats ; 
on  one  side  of  the  avenue  are  the  stables,  on  the 
other  a  green-house,  and  houses  for  a  number  of 
negro  mechanics.  In  a  spgf  'ous  back  yard  are 
turkies,  geese,  and  other  poultry.  This  house 
overlooks  the  Potowmack,  enjoys  an  extensive  pros 
pect,  has  a  vast  and  elevated  portico  on  the  front 
next  the  river,  and  a  convenient  distribution  of  the 
apartments  within. 

The  General  came  home  in  the  evening,  fatigued 
with  having  been  to  lay  out  a  new  road  in  some  part 
of  his  plantations.     You  have  often  heard  him  com-  The  Roman 
pared  to   Cincinnatus  ;  the   comparison   is  doubtless   Dictator  who 
just.     This   celebrated  General  is  nothing  more    at  power  to  1S 
present  than  a  good  farmer,  constantly  occupied  in  return  to  his 
the  care  of  his  farm  and  the  improvement  of  culti- 

45 


46 


In  the  Country 


[No.  15 


vation.  He  has  lately  built  a  barn,  one  hundred 
feet  in  length  and  considerably  more  in  breadth, 
destined  to  receive  the  productions  of  his  farm,  and 
to  shelter  his  cattle,  horses,  asses,  and  mules.  It  is 
built  on  a  plan  sent  him  by  that  famous  English 
farmer,  Arthur  Young.  But  the  General  has  much 
improved  the  plan. 


THE   BANQUET   HALL  AT   MOUNT   VERNON. 

This  building  is  in  brick,  it  cost  but  three  hundred 
pounds;  I  am  sure  in  France  it  would  have  cost 
three  thousand.  He  planted  this  year  eleven  hun 
dred  bushels  of  potatoes.  All  this  is  new  in  Vir 
ginia,  where  they  know  not  the  use  of  barns,  and 
where  they  lay  up  no  provisions  for  their  cattle. 
His  three  hundred  negroes  are  distributed  in  differ 
ent  log  houses,  in  different  parts  of  his  plantation, 
which  in  this  neighbourhood  consists  of  ten  thousand 
acres.  Colonel  Humphreys,  that  poet  of  whom  I  have 
spoken,  assured  me  that  the  General  possesses,  in 


No.  16] 


The   Settler 


47 


different  parts  of  the  country,  more  than  two  hundred 
thousand  acres. 

Every  thing  has  an  air  of  simplicity  in  his  house ; 
his  table  is  good,  but  not  ostentatious ;  and  no  devi 
ation  is  seen  from  regularity  and  domestic  economy. 
Mrs.  Washington  superintends  the  whole,  and  joins 
to  the  qualities  of  an  excellent  house-wife,  that  simple 
dignity  which  ought  to  characterize  a  woman,  whose 
husband  has  acted  the  greatest  part  on  the  theatre 
of  human  affairs ;  while  she  possesses  that  amenity, 
and  manifests  that  attention  to  strangers,  which  ren 
der  hospitality  so  charming.  The  same  virtues  are 
conspicuous  in  her  interesting  niece ;  but  unhappily 
she  appears  not  to  enjoy  good  health. 

M.  de  Chastellux  has  mingled  too  much  of  the 
brilliant  in  his  portrait  of  General  Washington.  His 
eye  bespeaks  great  goodness  of  heart,  manly  sense 
marks  all  his  answers,  and  he  sometimes  animates  in 
conversation,  but  he  has  no  characteristic  features; 
which  renders  it  difficult  to  seize  him.  He  announces 
a  profound  discretion,  and  a  great  diffidence  in  him 
self  ;  but  at  the  same  time,  an  unshakable  firmness 
of  character,  when  once  he  has  made  his  decision. 
His  modesty  is  astonishing  to  a  Frenchman;  he 
speaks  of  the  American  war,  and  of  his  victories, 
as  of  things  in  which  he  had  no  direction. 


Washington 
was  one  of 
the  most  far- 
sighted  busi 
ness  men  of 
his  time. 


A  French 
officer.     For 
the  account 
of  Washing 
ton  see 
Volume  II 
of  these 
readers. 


1 6.    From    Poverty   to    Prosperity 

BY  BRISSOT  DE  WARVILLE  (1788) 

HE  who  begins  a  settlement  in  the  woods,  is  gen 
erally  a  man  who  has  lost  his  fortune  and  his  credit 
in  the  cultivated  part  of  the  state.  He  emigrates  in 


48  In  the  Country  [NO.  16 

the  month  of  April.  His  first  work  is  to  build  a 
little  cabin  for  himself  and  family ;  the  roof  is  of 
rough  hewn  wood,  the'  floor  of  earth.  It  is  lighted 
by  the  door,  or  sometimes  by  a  little  window  with 
oiled  paper.  A  more  wretched  building  adjoining  it 
gives  shelter  to  a  cow  and  two  miserable  horses. 
This  done,  he  attacks  the  trees  that  surround  his 
cabin.  To  extirpate  them  by  the  root,  would  re 
quire  too  much  labour.  He  contents  himself  by  cut 
ting  them  at  two  or  three  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
space  thus  cleared  is  then  plowed,  and  planted  with 
Indian  corn.  The  soil,  being  new,  requires  little  cul 
ture  ;  in  the  month  of  October  it  yields  a  harvest  of 
forty  or  fifty  bushels  the  acre.  Even  from  the  month 
of  September,  this  corn  furnishes  a  plentiful  and 
agreeable  nourishment  to  his  family. 

Hunting  and  fishing,  with  a  little  grain,  suffice, 
during  the  winter,  for  the  subsistence  of  his  family ; 
while  the  cow  and  horses  of  our  planter  feed  on  the 
poor  wild  grass,  or  the  buds  of  trees.  During  the 
first  year,  he  suffers  much  from  cold  and  hunger ; 
but  he  endures  it  without  repining.  Being  near  the 
savages,  he  adopts  their  manners;  his  fatigue  is  vio 
lent,  but  it  is  suspended  by  long  intervals  of  repose: 
his  pleasures  consist  in  fishing  and  hunting ;  he  eats, 
drinks,  and  sleeps  in  the  filth  of  his  little  cabin. 

Thus  roll  away  the  first  three  years  of  our  planter 
in  laziness,  independence,  the  variation  of  pleasure, 
and  of  labour.  But  population  increases  in  his  neigh 
bourhood,  and  then  his  troubles  begin.  His  cattle 
could  before  run  at  large ;  but  now  his  neighbours 
force  him  to  retain  them  within  his  little  farm. 
Formerly  the  wild  beasts  gave  subsistence  to  his 
family ;  they  now  fly  a  country  which  begins  to  be 


NO.  16]  The   Settler  49 

peopled  by  men,  and  consequently  by  enemies.  An 
increasing  society  brings  regulations,  taxes,  and  the 
parade  of  laws ;  and  nothing  is  so  terrible  to  our 
independent  planter  as  all  these  shackles.  He  will 
not  consent  to  sacrifice  a  single  natural  right  for  all 
the  benefits  of  government;  he  abandons  then  his 
little  establishment,  and  goes  to  seek  a  second  re 
treat  in  the  wilderness,  where  he  can  recommence 
his  labours,  and  prepare  a  farm  for  cultivation.  Such 
are  the  charms  of  independence,  that  many  men  have 
begun  the  clearing  of  farms  four  times  in  different 
parts  of  this  State. 

The  labour  bestowed  by  the  first  planter  gives  some 
value  to  the  farm,  which  now  comes  to  be  occupied 
by  a  man  of  the  second  class  of  planters.  He  begins 
by  adding  to  his  cabin  a  house.  A  saw-mill  in  the 
neighbouring  settlement,  furnishes  him  with  boards. 
His  house  is  covered  with  shingles,  and  is  two  stories 
high.  He  makes  a  little  meadow,  plants  an  orchard 
of  two  of  three  hundred  apple-trees.  His  stable  is 
enlarged ;  he  builds  a  spacious  barn  of  wood,  and 
covers  it  with  rye-straw.  Instead  of  planting  only 
Indian  corn,  he  cultivates  wheat  and  rye ;  the  last  is 
destined  to  make  whisky.  But  the  planter  manages 
ill ;  his  fields  are  badly  plowed,  never  manured,  and 
give  but  small  crops.  His  cattle  break  through  his 
fences,  destroy  his  crops,  and  often  cut  off  the  hopes 
of  the  year.  His  horses  are  ill  fed,  and  feeble; 
his  cattle  often  die  with  hunger  in  the  spring ;  his 
house  and  his  farm  give  equal  proofs  of  the  want  of 
industry ;  the  glass  of  his  windows  has  given  place 
to  old  hats  and  rags.  This  man  is  fond  of  company; 
he  drinks  to  excess ;  passes  much  of  his  time  in  dis 
puting  about  politics.  Thus  he  contracts  debts,  and 


5  o  In  the  Country  [NO.  16 

is  forced,  after  some  years,  to  sell  his  plantation  to  a 
planter  of  the  third  and  last  class. 

This  is  ordinarily  a  man  of  property,  and  of  a 
cultivated  mind.  His  first  object  is  to  convert  into 
meadow  all  his  land,  on  which  he  can  conduct  water. 
He  then  builds  a  barn  of  stone,  sometimes  a  hundred 
feet  in  length,  and  forty  in  breadth.  This  defends 
his  cattle  from  cold,  and  they  eat  less  when  kept 
warm,  than  when  exposed  to  the  frost.  To  spare  the 
consumption  of  fuel,  he  makes  use  of  economical 
stoves,  and  by  this  he  saves  immense  labour  in  cut 
ting  and  carting  wood.  He  multiplies  the  objects 
of  culture  ;  besides  corn,  wheat,  and  rye,  he  cultivates 
oats  and  buckwheat.  Near  his  house  he  forms  a 
garden  of  one  or  two  acres,  which  gives  him  quanti 
ties  of  cabbage,  potatoes,  and  turnips.  Near  the 
spring  which  furnishes  him  with  water,  he  builds 
a  dairy-house.  He  increases  the  number,  and  im 
proves  the  quality  of  his  fruit-trees.  His  sons  are 
always  at  work  by  his  side ;  his  wife  and  daughter 
quit  their  wheels  for  the  labours  of  the  harvest.  The 
last  object  of  industry  is  to  build  a  house  for  his  own 
use.  This  building  is  generally  of  stone  ;  it  is  vast, 
well  distributed,  and  well  furnished.  His  horses  and 
cattle,  by  their  good  appearance,  their  strength,  and 
fecundity,  prove  that  they  are  well  fed,  and  well 
attended.  His  table  abounds  with  delicate  and 
various  dishes.  His  kitchen  flows  with  milk  and 
honey.  His  wife  and  daughters  manufacture  their 
clothing.  In  proportion  as  he  grows  rich,  he  per 
ceives  the  value  of  the  protection  of  the  laws ;  he 
pays  his  taxes  with  punctuality ;  he  contributes  to 
the  support  of  churches  and  schools,  as  the  only 
of  insuring  order  and  tranquillity. 


NO.  17]  Connecticut    Girls  5 1 

1 7.    Those   Fair   Connecticut   Girls 

BY  BRISSOT  DE  WARVILLE  (1778) 

CONNECTICUT  appears  like  one  continuous  town.  On 
quitting  Hartford,  you  enter  Wethersfield,  a  town  not 
less  elegant,  very  long,  consisting  of  houses  well  built. 
They  tell  me  it  gave  birth  to  the  famous  Silas  Deane, 
one  of  the  first  promoters  of  the  American  revolution, 
who  from  a  schoolmaster  in  this  town,  was  elevated 
to  the  rank  of  an  envoy  from  Congress  to  Europe. 

Wethersfield  is  remarkable  for  its  vast  fields  uni 
formly  covered  with  onions,  of  which  great  quantities 
are  exported  to  the  West-Indies.  It  is  likewise  re 
markable  for  its  elegant  meeting-house,  or  church. 
On  Sunday  it  is  said  to  offer  an  enchanting  spectacle, 
by  the  number  of  young  handsome  persons  who  as 
semble  there,  and  by  the  agreeable  music  with  which 
they  intermingle  the  divine  service. 

New  Haven  yields  not  to  Wethersfield  for  the  beauty 
of  the  fair  sex.  At  their  balls  during  the  winter,  it  is 
not  rare  to  see  an  hundred  charming  girls,  adorned 
with  those  brilliant  complexions  seldom  met  with  in 
journeying  to  the  South,  and  dressed  in  elegant  sim 
plicity.  The  beauty  of  complexion  is  as  striking  in 
Connecticut,  as  its  numerous  population.  You  will 
not  go  into  a  tavern  without  meeting  with  neatness, 
decency,  and  dignity.  The  tables  are  served  by  a 
young  girl,  decent  and  pretty  ;  by  an  amiable  mother, 
whose  age  has  not  effaced  the  agreeableness  of  her 
features ;  by  men  who  have  that  air  of  dignity  which 
the  idea  of  equality  inspires  ;  and  who  are  not  ignoble 
and  base,  like  the  greatest  part  of  our  tavern-keepers. 
On  the  road  you  often  meet  those  fair  Connecticut 


52  In  the  Country  [NO.  is 

girls,  either  driving  a  carriage,  or  alone  on  horse-back, 
galloping  boldly ;  with  an  elegant  hat  on  the  head,  a 
white  apron,  and  a  calico  gown  ;  —  usages  which  prove 
at  once  the  early  cultivation  of  their  reason,  since 
they  are  trusted  so  young  to  themselves,  the  safety 
of  the  road,  and  the  general  innocence  of  manners. 
You  will  see  them  hazarding  themselves  alone,  with 
out  protectors,  in  the  public  stages  —  I  am  wrong  to 
say  hazarding ;  who  can  offend  them  ?  They  are 
here  under  the  protection  of  public  morals,  and  of 
their  own  innocence :  it  is  the  consciousness  of  this 
innocence,  which  renders  them  so  complaisant,  and 
so  good ;  for  a  stranger  takes  them  by  the  hand,  and 
laughs  with  them,  and  they  are  not  offended  at  it. 


1 8.    Mary    will    Smile 

BY  WILLIAM  CLIFTON  (1795) 

THE  morn  was  fresh,  and  pure  the  gale, 

When  Mary,  from  her  cot  a  rover, 
Pluck'd  many  a  wild  rose  of  the  vale 

To  bind  the  temples  of  her  lover. 
As  near  his  little  farm  she  stray'd, 

Where  birds  of  love  were  ever  pairing, 
She  saw  her  William  in  the  shade, 

The  arms  of  ruthless  war  preparing. 
"Though  now,"  he  cried,  "  I  seek  the  hostile  plain, 
Mary  shall  smile,  and  all  be  fair  again." 

She  seized  his  hand,  and  "  Ah  !  "  she  cried, 
"  Wilt  thou  to  camps  and  war  a  stranger 

Desert  thy  Mary's  faithful  side, 
And  bare  thy  life  to  every  danger  ? 


NO.  19]        The  Shaking  Quakers          5  3 

Yet  go,  brave  youth  !  to  arms  away ! 

My  maiden  hands  for  fight  shall  dress  thee, 
And  when  the  drum  beats  far  away, 

I'll  drop  a  silent  tear  and  bless  thee. 
Return'd  with  honor,  from  the  hostile  plain, 
Mary  will  smile,  and  all  be  fair  again. 

The  bugles  through  the  forest  wind, 

The  woodland  soldiers  call  to  battle, 
Be  some  protecting  angel  kind, 

And  guard  thy  life  when  cannons  rattle  !  " 
She  sung,  and  as  the  rose  appears 

In  sunshine,  when  the  storm  is  over, 
A  smile  beam'd  sweetly  through  her  tears, 

The  blush  of  promise  to  her  lover. 
Return'd  in  triumph  from  the  hostile  plain, 
All  shall  be  fair,  and  Mary  smile  again. 


19.    The    Shaking    Quakers 

BY  MOSES  GUEST  (1796) 

SUNDAY,  October    10.     Having  heard  various  ac-  The  shaking 
counts  of  the  very  singular  mode  of  worship  prac-  Quakers  or 
tised   by   the    people    called    Shaking    Quakers,    I 


this  day  went  to  visit  them.     I  found  the  house  at  ties.  the  inen 

which  they  were  assembled,  situated  nine  miles  north-  ^separate" 

west  of    Albany,  and   two  miles  from  the    Mohawk  large  houses. 

river  ;  it  is  built  of  logs,  neatly  squared,  and  is  fifty  j^n  ve"^ 

feet  in  length,  and  twenty-four  in  width,  with  a  chim-  industrious 

ney  at  each  end.     When  I  entered  this  building,  I  and  well-to- 

beheld  twenty-four  men  dancing  at  one  end  of  the  present  few 


54  In  t/ie  Country  [NO.  19 

young  people  room,  and   twenty  women    at   the  other.     They  ap- 
-sect     Peared    to   be   from    the    age   of    fourteen  to  eighty 

is  dying  out.  years ;  and  were  formed  four  deep.  Two  of  their 
elders  were  singing  a  song  tune,  called  the  rose  tree. 
They  kept  good  time,  though  they  frequently  trem 
bled  as  if  much  convulsed — this  they  call  the  work 
ing  of  the  spirit. 

After  continuing  in  this  way  for  about  an  hour  and 
a  half,  the  elders  stopped  singing ;  this  stopped  the 
dancing  for  the  present.  The  men  then  put  on  their 
coats,  and  they  all  retired  to  a  house,  but  a  short 
distance  from  that  in  which  they  had  been  dancing; 
where  they  partook  of  some  refreshment;  but  soon 
commenced  singing  a  kind  of  gibberish,  which  they 
call  an  unknown  tongue.  They  say  they  can  speak 
several  different  languages,  and  though  the  living 
cannot  understand  them,  they  are  intelligible  to  the 
departed  spirits,  with  whom  they  say  they  hold  fre 
quent  converse. 

After  about  an  hour's  intermission  they  assembled 
again,  and  formed  two  deep ;  they  then  all  sang  in 
their  unknown  tongue,  appearing,  at  times,  to  be  very 
much  convulsed.  They  continued  dancing  and  trem 
bling  half  an  hour ;  then  ceased  singing,  and  after 
many  heavy  sighs  and  groans,  and  much  twisting 
and  trembling,  one  of  their  elders,  in  broken  accents, 
muttered  out,  "  Let  us,  my  dear  friends,  endeavour 
to  praise  God  in  the  dance;  prepare  yourselves." 
The  men  then  put  off  their  coats  and  waistcoats ; 
then  after  opening  their  collars,  and  tying  up  their 
sleeves,  they  formed  four  deep,  the  women  also  form 
ing  in  the  same  manner.  One  of  their  elders  then, 
after  groaning  and  trembling  for  a  few  minutes,  said, 
"  My  dear  friends,  you  that  are  blest  with  the  gift  of 


NO.  i9]          The  Shaking  Quakers        5  5 

songs,  I  hope  will  praise  God  by  singing  a  few  tunes 
for  us."  Immediately  two  young  men  stepped  out 
from  the  ranks,  and  began  to  sing,  at  which  time  they 
all  commenced  dancing. 

In  this  way  they  continued  about  an  hour,  appear 
ing,  at  times,  very  much  agitated.  They  then  all 
stopped  dancing,  and  one  of  their  elders,  after  vio 
lently  shaking  his  head  and  arms,  thus  addressed 
them  —  "  My  dear  friends,  I  hope  you  will  endeavor 
to  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  wrherewith  you  are 
called ;  and  praise  God  for  separating  you  from  the 
wicked  world  ;  for  in  like  manner  as  Lot  escaped  out 
of  Sodom,  so  have  you,  my  friends,  escaped,  and  have 
been  separated  from  the  wicked  world."  He  was 
soon  seized  with  a  very  violent  shaking  of  the  head, 
after  which,  with  a  heavy  sigh  and  groan,  he  told  his 
trembling  audience  that  they  might  put  on  their  gar 
ments  and  retire,  which  they  soon  did. 

They  say  that  all  the  churches  in  the  world,  except 
themselves,  are  antichristian.  They  also  say  they 
are  commissioned  to  judge  the  world ;  that  the  books 
are  now  open ;  and  that  the  souls  of  all  those  persons 
who  have  died  are  daily  appearing  before  them  and 
that  all  who  have  died  in  an  imperfect  state  have  gone 
to  a  place  of  torment,  there  to  pay  the  debt  due  to 
divine  justice,  by  suffering  in  proportion  to  their  sins ; 
and  that  after  passing  through  several  degrees  of 
punishment,  and  paying  the  whole  debt,  they  then 
appear  before  them,  are  acquitted,  and  sent  to  heaven. 
If  any  man  comes  to  them  for  instruction,  whose  hair 
is  longr  they  read  to  such  person  the  i  ith  chapter  of 
ist  Corinthians,  I4th  verse;  they  then  inform  him,  if 
he  wishes  to  be  instructed,  he  must  have  his  hair  cut 
short,  as  he  wears  the  mark  of  the  beast. 


56  In  the  Country  [NO.  20 

20.    Home,    Sweet    Home  ! 

BY  JOHN  HOWARD  PAYNE  (1823) 

'Mm  pleasures  and  palaces  though  we  may  roam, 
Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home ; 
A  charm  from  the  sky  seems  to  hallow  us  there, 
Which,  seek  through  the  world,   is  ne'er  met  with 
elsewhere. 

Home,  Home,  Sweet,  Sweet  Home ! 

There's  no  place  like  Home ! 

There's  no  place  like  Home ! 

An  exile  from  home,  splendor  dazzles  in  vain, 
O,  give  me  my  lowly  thatched  cottage  again ! 
The  birds  singing  gayly,  that  came  at  my  call  — 
Give  me  them,  —  and  the  peace  of  mind,  dearer  than 
all! 

Home,  Home,  Sweet,  Sweet  Home ! 

There's  no  place  like  Home ! 

There's  no  place  like  Home ! 


21.    Incidents  in   the   Life  of  a 
Bound    Boy 

BY  ASA  G.  SHELDON  (1797) 

ON  April  I4th,  1797,  while  I  was  still  in  my  ninth 
year,  Mr.  Daniel  Parker  came  to  my  father's  house 
to  get  a  boy  to  live  with  him.  Mother  said  he 
might  take  his  choice,  Samuel  or  Asa.  "  I  will  take 
Asa,"  he  said,  "  because  he  is  the  youngest."  Ac 
cordingly,  my  father  went  over  with  me  to  the 
Parker  place. 


No.  21] 


A  Bound  Boy 


57 


I  found  the  family  to  consist  of  Mr.  Parker,  who 
was  about  forty  years  of  age,  and  wife,  of  nearly  the 
same  age ;  David,  about  eighteen  and  two  daugh 
ters,  Patty  and  Sally,  who  were  a  few  years  younger. 


AN    OX   CART. 


Mrs.  Parker  told  me  to  call  her  "  mother,"  and  cer 
tainly  she  acted  the  part  of  a  mother  to  me.  She 
fed  me  when  hungry ;  dried  my  clothes  when  wet ; 
cared  for  my  every  want ;  and  when  troubles  as 
sailed  that  she  could  not  alleviate,  she  pitied  and 
sympathised  with  me.  In  short,  she  was  as  kind  as 
my  own  mother. 

On  first  entering  the  house,  I  found  no  one  at 
home  except  Mrs.  Parker  and  her  two  daughters. 
After  sitting  a  few  minutes,  she  said,  "  You  may  go 
to  the  barn  and  see  the  calves."  There  were  six  of 
them,  and  I  employed  the  forenoon  in  cleaning  the 
stalls  and  clearing  up.  After  dinner  I  went  with 
Mr.  Parker  to  split  oak  butts  into  wheel  spokes. 
Thus  ended  my  first  day's  servitude. 


58  In  the  Country  [NO.  21 

Our  spring  ploughing  that  year  was  done  by  four 
oxen  and  a  horse,  and  it  was  my  constant  business 
to  drive  them.  In  hoeing,  the  plan  was  for  me  to 
take  every  alternate  hill  and  follow  back  on  the 
same  row,  thus  keeping  alongside  the  men.  The 
summer  passed  pleasantly  away.  I  had  the  privi 
lege  of  attending  winter  school,  and  as  is  common 
for  youth,  formed  a  lasting  attachment  to  a  school 
mate  —  Daniel  Putman,  a  boy  nearly  my  size  and  age. 

My  father  needed  a  cow ;  he  agreed  with  Mr. 
Parker  to  take  one  for  twenty-two  dollars,  and  I  was 
to  work  for  him  another  year,  or  till  the  next  May,  to 
pay  for  her,  and  I  was  to  have  winter  schooling.  Mr. 
Parker  was  so  miserly,  that  he  was  unwilling  to  let  me 
slide  on  the  ice,  because  it  wore  my  shoes  out ;  but 
thanks  to  Mother  Parker's  good  will,  I  found  frequent 
opportunities  to  enjoy  an  hour  on  the  ponds. 

At  the  commencement  of  my  third  year,  Mr.  Parker 
frequently  urged  that  I  should  be  bound  to  him,  tell 
ing  my  father  that  he  would  give  him  twenty  dollars 
in  cash,  and  would  give  me  one  hundred  dollars  on 
becoming  twenty-one.  To  this  my  father  agreed,  and 
the  necessary  documents  were  signed  without  mother's 
knowledge.  Great  was  her  anguish  on  learning  that 
her  son  was  a  "  bond  slave,"  as  she  was  pleased  to 
call  it. 

In  my  fourth  year  of  service,  there  was  no  snow 
for  sledding  till  February  or  March,  when  a  nice  fall 
of  snow  coming,  created  an  ambition  in  me  to  drive 
a  load  of  wood  to  Salem  town  and  sell  it.  When  at 
Salem  a  baker  agreed  with  me  for  a  load  of  faggots, 
or  twigs  bound  in  bundles,  for  heating  ovens.  With 
the  hope  that  Mr.  Parker  would  give  me  all  the 
money  if  I  could  contrive  to  make  them  without  tak- 


No.  21] 


A  Bound  Boy 


59 


was  16% 
cents,  and 
the  "  nine- 


ing  his  time,  I  kept  my  hatchet  in  the  cow  pasture, 
and  when  I  found  the  cows  handily  I  could  make 
eight  or  ten  bundles,  and  then  run  and  catch  up  with 
them.  If  I  did  not  find  them  readily,  I  made  less, 
and  so  on. 

I  drove  the  load  to  Salem,  and  brought  home  five 
dollars  and  eighty  cents  and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Parker, 
and  he  was  niggardly  enough  to  offer  me  twelve  and 
a  half  cents  for  all  my  labor,  hurry  and  toil.     Mother 
Parker  seeing  me  about  to  take  it,  gave  a  stamp  with 
her  foot,  when  the  ninepence  dropped  on  the  floor,  The "  New 
and  I  hastened  out  of  the  house.    Soon  after,  Mother 
Parker  went  to  Salem  herself  and  brought  home  a 
nice  hat  for  me,  that  cost  three  dollars.     There  was 
but  one  other  hat  worn  in  town  that  was  so  nice.     On   pence    was 
presenting  it  she  said,   "  There  Asa,  that  will  do  you   i2Va  cents. 
more  good  than  ninepence." 

Once  in  April,  when  the  snow  was  falling  fast,  Mr. 
Parker  came  to  me  and  said,  "If  you  will  leave  vine 
stripping  and  go  and  get  the  sheep  up,  I  will  pay 
you  for  it."  I  did,  and  found  a  wee  little  lamb  in 
the  snow.  Taking  off  my  frock  I  wrapped  it  up 
and  brought  it  home.  "  Now,  Asa,"  said  Mr.  Parker, 
"  if  you  will  make  that  lamb  live,  you  may  have  it  to 
pay  for  going  after  the  sheep,  and  all  the  ewe  lambs 
she  has  I  will  keep  for  you  for  their  wool,  and  the 
male  lambs  you  may  sell  to  the  butchers."  All 
night  I  watched  the  wee  bit  of  a  creature  and  in  the 
morning  it  was  able  to  draw  its  own  "rations"  from 
its  dam. 

Early  in  the  autumn,  the  frigate  Essex  was  to  be 
launched.  All  the  boys  in  the  neighborhood  were 
going.  I  wanted  to  go,  but  Mr.  Parker  said  no. 
And  it  was  not  till  several  boys  had  interceded  with 


60  In  the  Country  [NO.  2I 

him  that  he  gave  his  consent.  We  started  at  mid 
night,  eighteen  in  all,  and  walked  to  Salem,  saw  the 
Essex  leave  "  the  home  of  her  birth,"  and  slide  gently 
down  the  greased  ways,  with  her  precious  cargo  of 
curious  mortals,  anxious  to  catch  the  first  ride  in  her 
as  she  bathed  herself  for  the  first  time  in  the  briny 
deep. 

Afterwards  we  walked  about  town  to  see  the 
"  elephant,"  ate  gingerbread  and  pies,  and  toward 
night  set  our  faces  toward  home.  It  was  a  most 
formidable  journey  for  boys  of  our  age,  and  before 
we  reached  home  our  fatigue  was  such  that  we  lay 
down  on  the  ground  to  rest  every  half  mile. 

In  the  summer  season,  brown  bread  and  milk  was 
the  constant  food,  for  the  whole  family,  morning  and 
night.  By  brown  bread  is  meant  bread  made  of 
rye  and  Indian  meal,  raised  and  baked  in  large 
loaves  in  a  brick  oven.  Supper  for  Saturday  was 
uniformly  roast  potatoes  and  salt;  no  butter  was 
used.  The  winter  rations  were  beef -broth,  with 
brown  bread  crumbled  in,  and  for  a  change,  bean 
porridge.  This  porridge  was  made  by  boiling  a 
piece  of  pork,  with  a  handful  of  beans,  till  they  had 
become  soft  and  smashed ;  these  were  then  dipped 
into  dishes  with  bread  crumbled  in.  Our  Sunday 
dinner  was  invariably  baked  beans  with  salt  pork, 
and  a  baked  Indian  pudding.  A  little  butter  was 
allowed  for  the  pudding. 

The  Thanksgiving  festival  was  indeed  a  luxury. 
We  commonly  had  fowls  and  roasted  pork,  or  spare- 
rib,  and  plum  puddings,  with  as  many  as  three  kinds 
of  pies,  —  mince,  apple  and  pumpkin.  We  had  as 
nice  a  treat  at  Thanksgiving  then,  as  they  have  now, 
and  ate  it  with  a  greater  zest. 


NO.  22]  Bells  6 1 

My  clothes  in  summer  were  a  straw  hat,  tow 
shirt  and  tow  trousers.  When  the  mornings  were 
cool,  I  put  on  my  vest  such  as  it  was,  and  my  frock 
if  required.  I  had  no  shoes  until  the  ground  began 
to  freeze. 

For  winter  I  wore  striped  blue  and  white  wool 
len  trousers,  fulled  cloth  vest  and  jacket.  They  were 
commonly  made  of  Parker's  or  Dave's  old  cast-off 
ones,  which  good  Mother  Parker  took  care  to  have 
well  mended,  much  to  my  comfort.  I  was  never 
allowed  an  overcoat  while  I  lived  there,  or  a  pair  of 
boots.  I  was  allowed  but  one  pair  of  shoes  for  two 
years.  Parker  used  to  tell  me,  when  I  went  to  get 
my  foot  measured,  to  put  on  two  pair  of  stockings, 
and  tell  the  shoemaker  to  be  sure  and  make  them 
large  enough  to  last  two  years. 

The  first  year  I  put  old  flannel,  or  baize  as  it  was 
then  called,  around  my  feet  to  keep  the  shoes  from 
slipping  and  wearing  out  my  stockings.     Mr.  Parker 
kept   shoemaking    tools   on    hand,    and    when   they 
needed  repairs,  would  tap  them  with  old  upper  stuff  Tap=puton 
and  fill  them  full  of  nails  to  make  them  last  well;   asole' 
and  Mother  Parker  would  make  me  leggings   from 
his  old  stocking  legs. 


22.    The   Bells 

BY  GEORGE  SHELDON  (1800) 

IT  was  the  custom  in  my  younger  days  to  toll  the 
Passing  Bell  on  the  death  of  any  person  in  the  com 
munity.  Nine  strokes  of  the  bell  at  half  minute  in 
tervals,  announced  the  death  of  a  man,  six  that  of  a 


62 


In  the  Country 


[NO.  22 


woman,  and  three  that  of  a  child.  After  a  short 
pause  a  succession  of  quick  strokes  gave  the  age  in 
years,  of  the  departed. 

As  every  dangerous  sickness  was  known  to  the 
whole  community,  all  activities  ceased  at  the  first 
peal.  In  the  silence,  everybody  waited  with  bated 
breath  to  the  last,  to  know  what  family  among  them 
was  now  bereaved,  r ,  and  where  kindly 


help  was  needed 
How  long  this 
isted,  I  do  not 
discontinued  about 
ago.  At  funerals 
called  together  by 
Minute  strokes 
procession  moved 
continued  until  the 
spoken.  Then  at 
service  was  con- 
strokes  giving  the 
From  early  times 
bell  was  a  regular 
universally  under- 
signal  for  bed-time, 


AN   OLD   BELFRY. 


and  most  welcome, 
custom  had  ex- 
know,  but  it  was 
forty  or  fifty  years 
the  people  were 
the  tolling  bell, 
were  given  as  the 
to  the  grave  and 
closing  words  were 
a  given  signal,  the 
eluded  by  rapid 
age  of  the  departed, 
the  nine  o'clock 
institution.  It  was 
stood  to  be  the 
and  it  was  an  un 


written  law  that  every  body  should  give  heed  to  it. 

Custom  and  courtesy  alike  demanded  that  all  visit 
ors  who  had  dropped  in  to  make  a  call  or  spend  the 
evening,  should  make  a  move  to  do  up  the  knitting 
work  or  look  for  the  hat,  at  the  first  stroke  of  the 
bell.  To  any  polite  request  for  a  longer  tarry,  the 
sufficient  answer  was,  "  Oh,  no,  the  bell  is  ringing." 
It  was  an  old  and  common  saying  on  such  occasions, 
"  It  is  nine  o'clock,  time  for  honest  men  to  go  home 
and  rogues  about  their  business." 


NO.  22]  Bells  6  3 

This  was  doubtless  the  Curfew  Bell  of  Old  Eng 
land,    established   by   William    the    Conqueror,    and 
brought  over  by  our  fathers.     The  name  "  Curfew,"   "Curfew" 
however,  was  never  heard  this  side  of  the  water.     It  ^over the 
was    considered    by   the    Puritan,   I    suppose,    analo-  fire." 
gous  to  dancing  round  the  Maypole,  Christmas  fes 
tivity,    and   other   things    on    account  of   which  the 
emigrant  had  shaken  off  the  dust  from  his  feet. 

As  there  were  few  clocks  and  fewer  watches,  the 
nine  o'clock  bell  was  a  great  convenience.  Of  course 
in  cases  of  calls,  or  evening  parties,  the  participants 
did  not  feel  obliged  to  be  "  tied  to  the  bell-rope." 

To  supply  the  lack  of  almanacs,  as  well  as  of  time 
pieces,  it  was  the  custom  to  wind  up  the  nine  o'clock 
bell  with  light,  quick  taps,  indicating  the  day  of  the 
month. 

The  bell  was  also  rung  in  summer  at  twelve 
o'clock  M.  This  was  chiefly  for  the  benefit  of  those 
working  in  the  meadows  —  generally  the  larger  part 
of  the  male  population.  The  sound  filled  the  waiting 
ear  of  tired  man  and  beast  with  joyful  music. 

It  was  not  a  summons  to  home  and  a  hot  dinner, 
but  to  a  welcome  hour  of  rest  after  six  or  seven  hours 
of  labor.  In  planting  time  there  was  a  team,  usually 
two  yoke  of  oxen,  though  often  three  or  four  yoke 
with  a  horse  for  leader,  a  man  for  plough  holder  and 
a  boy  for  driver.  These  had  been  slowly  but  steadily 
turning  the  foot  deep  furrows. 

The  team  was  first  cared  for.  After  being  watered 
at  the  most  convenient  pond  or  stream,  the  oxen  were 
chained  to  the  wheels  on  either  side  of  the  cart.  They 
were  made  happy  with  a  bountiful  supply  of  fragrant 
hay  from  the  big  bundle.  The  horse  tied  on  one 
side  took  his  rations  over  the  foreboard  of  the  cart. 


64  In  the  Country  [No.23 

The  hungry  men  and  boys  seated  themselves  on 
the  ground  under  the  spreading  branches  of  the  dinner 
tree,  to  discuss  the  contents  of  the  ample  dinner  box. 

The  beef,  pork,  turnips,  and  potatoes,  the  bread 
and  butter,  the  gingerbread  and  nut  cakes,  disappeared 
like  magic,  while  the  jug  of  cider  passed  from  hand 
to  hand  and  mouth  to  mouth. 


23.    The    Tax   on    Old    Bachelors 

BY  SEBA  SMITH  (about  1830) 

I  DREAMED  a  dream  in  the  midst  of  my  slumbers, 

And,  as  fast  as  I  dreamed,  it  was  coined  into  numbers ; 

My  thoughts  ran  along  in  such  beautiful  metre, 

I'm  sure  I  ne'er  saw  any  poetry  sweeter. 

It  seemed  that  a  law  had  been  recently  made, 

That  a  tax  on  old  bachelors'  pates  should  be  laid ; 

And  in  order  to  make  them  all  willing  to  marry, 

The  tax  was  as  large  as  a  man  could  well  carry. 

The  Bachelors  grumbled,  and  said  'twas  no  use, 

'Twas  cruel  injustice  and  horrid  abuse, 

And  declared  that,  to  save  their  own  heart's  blood 

from  spilling, 

Of  such  a  vile  tax  they  would  ne'er  pay  a  shilling. 
But  the  Rulers  determined  their  scheme  to  pursue, 
So  they  set  all  the  bachelors  up  at  vendue. 
A  crier  was  sent  thro'  the  town  to  and  fro, 
To  rattle  his  bell,  and  his  trumpet  to  blow, 
And  to  bawl  out  at  all  he  might  meet  in  the  way, 
"  Ho  !  forty  old  bachelors  sold  here  to-day." 
And  presently  all  the  old  maids  in  the  town, 
Each  one  in  her  very  best  bonnet  and  gown, 


NO.  24]        Trade  without  Money  65 

From  thirty  to  sixty,  fair,  plain,  red,  and  pale, 

Of  every  description,  all  flocked  to  the  sale. 

The  auctioneer  then  in  his  labors  began, 

And  called  out  aloud,  as  he  held  up  a  man, 

"  How  much  for  a  bachelor  ?  who  wants  to  buy  ?  " 

In  a  twink  every  maiden  responded  —  "  I  —  I." 

In  short,  at  a  hugely  extravagant  price, 

The  bachelors  all  were  sold  off  in  a  trice : 

And  forty  old  maidens,  some  younger,  some  older, 

Each  lugged  an  old  bachelor  home  on  her  shoulder. 


24.    Trade   without   Money 

BY  WILLIAM  ASHE  (1806) 

THE  storekeepers  are  obliged  to  keep  every  article 
which  it  is  possible  that  the  farmer  and  manufacturer 
may  want.  Each  of  their  shops  exhibit  a  complete 
medley, — a  magazine  where  are  to  be  had  both  a  needle 
and  an  anchor,  a  tin  pot  and  a  large  copper  boiler,  a 
child's  whistle  and  a  pianoforte,  a  ring  dial  and  a  clock, 
a  skein  of  thread  and  trimmings  of  lace,  a  check  frock 
and  a  muslin  gown,  a  frieze  coat  and  a  superfine  cloth, 
a  glass  of  whiskey  and  a  barrel  of  brandy,  a  gill  of 
vinegar  and  hogshead  of  Madeira  wine,  &c.  Hence 
you  will  perceive  that  money  is  not  always  necessary  as 
a  circulating  medium  :  however,  as  farmers  and  manu 
facturers  advance  in  business,  and  find  their  produce 
more  than  equal  to  the  wants  of  their  families,  they 
contract  with  the  storekeeper  to  receive  the  annual 
balance  of  the  latter,  either  in  cash,  or  in  land  to  an 
equal  amount ;  for  though  no  person  cultivates  a 
tenth  part  of  the  land  that  he  possesses,  every  one 


66  In  the  Country  [NO.  24 

wants  to  buy  more.  Thus  the  great  landholders  ulti 
mately  absorb  all  the  hard  money ;  and  as  they  prin 
cipally  reside  in  the  large  towns  in  the  Atlantic  States, 
the  money  finds  its  way  back  to  those,  and  leaves  many 
places  here  without  a  single  dollar.  This  causes  dis 
tress  to  small  farmers  who  supply  the  markets  with 
provisions;  for  whatever  they  have  to  sell,  whether 
trivial  or  important,  they  receive  in  return  nothing 
but  an  order  on  a  store  for  the  value  in  goods ;  and 
as  the  wants  of  such  persons  are  few,  they  seldom 
know  what  articles  to  take.  The  storekeepers  turn 
this  circumstance  to  advantage,  and  frequently  force 
on  the  customer  a  thing  for  which  he  has  no  use ;  or, 
what  is  worse,  when  the  order  is  trifling,  tell  him  to 
sit  down  at  the  door  and  drink  the  amount  if  he 
chooses.  As  this  is  often  complied  with,  a  market 
day  is  mostly  a  scene  of  drunkenness  and  contention, 
fraud,  cunning,  and  duplicity ;  the  storekeeper  deny 
ing  the  possession  of  a  good  article,  till  he  fails  in 
imposing  a  bad  one.  I  have  known  a  person  ask  for 
a  pair  of  shoes,  and  receive  for  answer  that  there 
were  no  shoes  in  the  store,  but  some  capital  gin  that 
could  be  recommended  to  him.  I  have  heard  another 
ask  for  a  rifle  gun,  and  be  answered  that  there  were 
no  rifles,  but  that  he  could  be  accommodated  with  the 
best  Dutch  looking  glasses  and  German  flutes  in  the 
western  country.  Another  was  directed  by  his  wife 
to  bring  her  a  warming  pan,  smoothing  irons,  and 
scrubbing  brushes ;  but  these  were  denied ;  and  a 
wooden  cuckoo-clock,  which  the  children  would  not 
take  a  week  to  demolish,  was  sent  home  in  their 
stead.  I  could  not  help  smiling  at  these  absurdities, 
though  I  believe  they  deserve  the  name  of  imposi 
tions,  till  an  incident  reduced  me  to  the  condition  of 


NO.  25]  Robert  of  Lincoln  67 

those  whom  I  have  just  described.  I  rode  an  excel 
lent  horse  to  the  head  of  the  waters ;  and  finding  him 
of  no  further  use  from  my  having  to  take  boat  there, 
I  proposed  selling  him  to  the  best  bidder.  I  was 
offered  in  exchange  for  him  salt,  flour,  hogs,  land, 
cast  iron,  salt  pans,  Indian  corn,  whiskey  —  in  short, 
every  thing  but  what  I  wanted,  which  was  money. 
The  highest  offer  made,  was  cast  iron  salt  pans  to 
the  amount  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  I 
asked  the  proprietor  of  this  heavy  commodity,  how 
much  cash  he  would  allow  me  instead  of  such  an 
incumbrance ;  his  answer  was,  without  any  shame 
or  hesitation,  forty  dollars  at  most.  I  preferred  the 
pans  ;  though  they  are  to  be  exchanged  again  for 
glass  bottles  at  Pittsburg,  tobacco  or  hemp  in  Ken 
tucky,  and  dollars  in  New  Orleans.  These  various 
commercial  processes  may  occupy  twelve  months ; 
nor  am  I  then  certain  of  the  amount,  unless  I  give 
thirty  per  cent  to  secure  it. 

The  words  buy  and  sell  are  nearly  unknown  here ; 
in  business  nothing  is  heard  but  the  word  trade. 
"  Will  you  trade  your  watch,  your  gun,  pistols, 
horses  ?  &c."  means,  "  Will  you  change  your  watch, 
gun,  &c.  for  corn,  pigs,  cattle,  Indian  meal  ?  &c." 
But  you  must  expect  all  this  from  the  absence  of 

money. 

•* 

25.    Robert   of  Lincoln 

BY  WILLIAM  CULLEN  BRYANT  (1849) 

MERRILY  swinging  on  brier  and  weed, 
Near  to  the  nest  of  his  little  dame, 

Over  the  mountain-side  or  mead, 

Robert  of  Lincoln  is  telling  his  name : 


68 


In  the  Country 


[No.  25 


Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink; 
Snug  and  safe  is  that  nest  of  ours, 
Hidden  among  the  summer  flowers. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 


BOBOLINKS. 

Robert  of  Lincoln  is  gayly  drest, 

Wearing  a  bright  black  wedding  coat ; 
White  are  his  shoulders  and  white  his  crest. 
Hear  him  call  in  his  merry  note : 

Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink; 
Look,  what  a  nice  new  coat  is  mine, 
Sure  there  was  never  a  bird  so  fine. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 


NO.  25]  Robert  of  Lincoln  69 

Robert  of  Lincoln's  Quaker  wife, 

Pretty  and  quiet,  with  plain  brown  wings, 
Passing  at  home  a  patient  life, 

Broods  in  the  grass  while  her  husband  sings : 
Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink; 
Brood,  kind  creature ;  you  need  not  fear 
Thieves  and  robbers  while  I  am  here. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 

Modest  and  shy  as  a  nun  is  she ; 

One  weak  chirp  is  her  only  note. 
Braggart  and  prince  of  braggarts  is  he, 
Pouring  boasts  from  his  little  throat : 
Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink ; 
Never  was  I  afraid  of  man ; 
Catch  me,  cowardly  knaves,  if  you  can ! 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 

Six  white  eggs  on  a  bed  of  hay, 

Flecked  with  purple,  a  pretty  sight ! 
There  as  the  mother  sits  all  day, 

Robert  is  singing  with  all  his  might : 
Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink ; 
Nice  good  wife,  that  never  goes  out, 
Keeping  house  while  I  frolic  about. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 

Soon  as  the  little  ones  chip  the  shell, 
Six  wide  mouths  are  open  for  food ; 

Robert  of  Lincoln  bestirs  him  well, 
Gathering  seeds  for  the  hungry  brood. 


jo  In  the  Country  [NO. 26 

Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 

Spink,  spank,  spink ; 
This  new  life  is  likely  to  be 
Hard  for  a  gay  young  fellow  like  me. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 

Robert  of  Lincoln  at  length  is  made 

Sober  with  work  and  silent  with  care ; 
Off  is  his  holiday  garment  laid, 
Half  forgotten  that  merry  air  : 
Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink ; 
Nobody  knows  but  my  mate  and  I 
Where  our  nest  and  our  nestlings  lie. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 

Summer  wanes ;  the  children  are  grown  ; 

Fun  and  frolic  no  more  he  knows  ; 
Robert  of  Lincoln's  a  humdrum  crone ; 
Off  he  flies,  and  we  sing  as  he  goes : 
Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink ; 
When  you  can  pipe  that  merry  old  strain, 
Robert  of  Lincoln,  come  back  again. 
Chee,  chee,  chee. 


26.    An   Old   Fashioned   Reading 
Book 

This  piece  is  Mrs.  Lismore.     You  are  quite  breathless,  Charles, 

sho^what  where  have  y°u  been  running  so  violently  ? 

poor  readers  Charles.     From  the  poultry  yard,  mamma,  where  I 

children  had  have  been  diverting  myself  with  the  bravado  of  the 


NO.  26]  Reading  Book  7 1 

old  gander.     I  did  not  observe  him  till  he  came  tow-  three  quar- 
ard  me  very  fiercely,  when,  to  induce  him  to  pursue  tersofacen- 

-r  r  i  •  TT       r    11  1-11  -i         turyago.lt  is 

me,  I  ran  from  mm.     He  followed,  till,  supposing  he  taken  from  a 
had  beaten  me,  he   returned  to  the  geese,  who  ap-  b°ok  called 
peared  to  receive  him  with  acclamations  of  joy,  cack-  tionTon Cat 
ling  very  loud,  and  seeming  actually  to  laugh,  and  to  urai  History 
enjoy  the  triumph  of  their  gallant  chief.  Children5"^ 

Emma.  I  wish  I  had  been  with  you,  Charles ;  I 
have  often  admired  the  gambols  of  these  beautiful 
birds,  and  wondered  how  they  came  by  the  appella 
tion  of  silly,  which  is  generally  bestowed  on  them. 
I  remember  Martha,  our  nursery  maid,  used  often  to 
call  me  a  silly  goose.  How  came  they  to  deserve  that 
term,  mamma  ?  they  appear  to  me  to  have  as  much 
intelligence  as  any  of  the  feathered  tribe. 

Mrs.  Lismore.  I  have  often  thought  with  you, 
Emma,  and  supposed  that  term,  like  many  others, 
misapplied,  for  want  of  examining  into  the  justice  of 
so  degrading  an  epithet. 

CJiarles.  What  a  superb  bird  this  is,  Emma;  I 
should  think  it  quite  a  treasure. 

Mrs.  Lismore.  It  would  be  a  very  troublesome  one 
to  you,  Charles,  and  its  loquacious  disposition  would 
ill  accord  with  the  silence  requisite  for  a  student. 
But  this  is  indeed  a  beautiful  little  animal ;  it  is  a 
paroquet,  and  is  a  native  of  the  Brazils.  They  are 
more  highly  prized  than  any  of  the  species.  See  how 
rich  and  variegated  its  plumage  is,  what  an  elegant 
crest  adorns  its  head  !  I  think  it  may  be  called  the 
sovereign  of  birds,  at  least  in  point  of  beauty,  and 
its  crest  its  crown.  Do  you  know  its  character, 
Emma  ? 

Emma.  My  uncle  said  he  purchased  it  when  very 
young,  and  has  had  it  in  his  possession  three  years ; 


72  In  the  Country  [NO.  27 

it  is  extremely  docile,  very  good  natured  and  amus 
ing,  speaks  the  English  language  almost  as  intelligibly 
as  its  master,  and  has  a  great  variety  of  songs  and 
phrases  and  playful  tricks  in  store,  with  which  it 
endeavours  to  please. 


27.    A    Hunter   hides   from   a 
Storm   in   a   Hollow   Tree 

BY  JOHN  A.  McCLUNG  (1777) 

WITH  the  Indians  nothing  can  make  up  for  igno 
rance  of  the  woods.  Young  Smith,  for  losing  himself, 
was  degraded  from  the  rank  of  a  warrior,  and  reduced 
to  that  of  a  boy.  Two  years  afterwards,  he  regained 
his  rank,  and  was  presented  with  a  rifle,  as  a  reward 
for  an  exhibition  of  hardihood  and  presence  of  mind. 
Soon  after  he  went  out  to  hunt,  in  company  with  an 
old  chief,  and  several  other  Indians.  A  deep  snow 
lay  upon  the  ground,  and  the  weather  was  tempestu 
ous.  On  their  way  home,  some  racoon  tracks  were 
seen  in  the  snow,  and  Smith  was  directed  to  follow 
them  and  observe  where  the  creatures  treed. 

He  was  thus  led  off  to  a  much  greater  distance 
than  was  supposed,  and  the  hunters  were  several 
miles  ahead  of  him,  when  he  attempted  to  rejoin 
them.  At  first  their  tracks  were  very  plain  in  the 
snow,  and  although  night  approached,  and  the  camp 
was  distant,  Smith  felt  no  anxiety  ;  but  his  situation 
became  critical  about  dusk.  The  weather  became 
suddenly  much  colder,  the  wind  blew  a  perfect  hurri 
cane,  and  whirlwinds  of  snow  blinded  his  eyes  and 
filled  up  the  tracks  of  his  companions.  He  had  with 


NO.  27j          A  Hunter  Hides  73 

him  neither  a  gun,  flint,  nor  steel  —  no  shelter  but  a 
blanket,  and  no  weapon  but  a  tomahawk. 

For  several  hours  he  plodded  on,  ignorant  of  his   Before 
route,  stumbling  over  logs,  and  chilled  with  cold,  until  matcheswere 

.  •  invented 

the  snow  became  so  deep  as  seriously  to  check  his  people  made 
footsteps,  and  the  flakes  fell  so  thick  as  to  render  it  a  fire 
impossible  to  see  where  he  was  going.     He  shouted 
aloud  for  help,  but  no  answer  was  returned,  and  as   steel  and 
the  storm  every  instant  became  more  outrageous,  he 
began  to  think  that  his  last  hour  had  come.     Provi-  punk, 
dentially,  in  stumbling  on  through  the  snow,  he  came 
to  a  large  sycamore,  with  a  con 
siderable  opening  on  the  wind 
ward    side.      He   hastily   crept 
in  and  found  the  hollow  large 
enough  to  accommodate  him  for 
the   night,  if    the  weather  side 
could  be  closed  so  as  to  exclude 
the  snow  and  wind,  which  was 
beating    against    it    with    great 
violence.     He  instantly  went  to 
work  with  his  tomahawk  and  cut 
out  a  number  of  sticks,  which 
he   placed  upright  against   the 
hole,  and  piled  brush  against  it 
in    great    quantities,    leaving   a 
space  open  for  himself  to  creep 
in.    He  then  broke  up  a  decayed 
log,    and  cutting   it   into    small 
pieces,  pushed  them  one  by  one 
into  the  hollow  of  the  tree,  and 

lastly  crept  in  himself.  With  these  pieces  he  stopped 
up  the  remaining  holes  of  his  den,  until  not  a  chink 
was  left  to  admit  the  light. 


74  In  the  Country  [NO.  27 

The  snow,  drifting  in  large  quantities,  was  soon 
banked  up  against  his  defences,  and  completely  shel 
tered  him  from  the  storm,  which  still  continued  to 
rage  with  undiminished  fury.  He  then  danced  vio 
lently  in  the  centre  of  his  den  for  two  hours,  until  he 
was  sufficiently  warmed,  and  wrapping  himself  in  his 
blanket,  he  slept  soundly  until  morning.  He  awoke  in 
utter  darkness,  and  groping  about,  he  found  his  door 
and  attempted  to  push  it  away,  but  the  snow  had 
drifted  against  it  in  such  quantities,  that  it  resisted 
his  utmost  efforts.  His  hair  now  began  to  bristle,  for 
he  feared  that  he  had  with  great  ingenuity  contrived 
to  bury  himself  alive.  He  lay  down  again  for  several 
hours,  meditating  upon  what  he  should  do,  and 
whether  he  should  not  attempt  to  cut  through  the 
tree  with  his  tomahawk  —  but  at  length  he  made  one 
more  desperate  effort  to  push  away  the  door,  and  suc 
ceeded  in  moving  it  several  inches,  when  a  great 
bank  of  snow  fell  in  upon  him  from  above,  convincing 
him  at  once  of  the  immense  quantity  which  had  fallen. 

At  length  he  burrowed  his  way  into  the  upper  air, 
and  found  it  broad  daylight,  and  the  weather  calm 
and  mild.  The  snow  lay  nearly  four  feet  deep  —  but 
he  was  now  enabled  to  see  his  way  clearly,  and  by 
following  the  marks  in  the  bark  of  the  trees,  he  was 
able  to  return  to  camp.  He  was  received  with  loud 
shouts  of  joy  and  congratulation,  but  not  a  single 
question  was  asked  until  he  had  despatched  a  hearty 
meal  of  venison,  hominy,  and  sugar. 

The  old  chief,  Tecaughnetanego,  then  presented 
him  with  his  own  pipe,  and  they  all  remained  silent 
until  Smith  had  smoked.  When  they  saw  him  com 
pletely  refreshed,  the  venerable  chief  addressed  him 
in  a  mild  and  affectionate  manner,  (for  Smith  at  that 


NO.  28]  Camp   Meeting  7  5 

time,  was  a  mere  boy  in  their  eyes)  and  desired  to 
hear  a  particular  account  of  the  manner  in  which  he 
had  passed  the  night.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  until 
Smith  had  concluded  his  story,  and  then  he  was 
greeted  on  all  sides  with  shouts  of  approbation. 

Tecaughnetanego  arose  and  addressed  him  in  a 
short  speech,  in  which  his  courage,  hardihood  and 
presence  of  mind  were  highly  commended.  He  ex 
horted  the  young  brave  to  go  on  as  he  had  begun, 
and  assured  him  that  one  day  he  would  make  a  very 
great  man.  He  told  him  that  all  his  brothers  rejoiced 
in  his  safety,  as  much  as  they  had  lamented  his  sup 
posed  death,  that  they  were  preparing  snow  shoes 
to  go  in  search  of  him  when  he  appeared ;  for  as  he 
had  been  brought  up  effeminately  among  the  whites, 
they  never  expected  to  see  him  alive.  In  conclusion, 
he  was  promoted  again  from  the  rank  of  a  boy  to  that 
of  a  warrior,  and  assured  that  when  they  sold  skins 
in  the  spring,  at  Detroit,  they  would  purchase  for  him 
a  new  rifle.  And  they  faithfully  observed  their 

promise. 

— -* — 

28.    A   Georgia   Camp   Meeting 

BY  EMILY  BURKE  (about  1840) 

To  the  country  people  in  the  Northern  part  of 
Georgia,  the  season  of  the  annual  camp-meeting 
furnishes  a  date,  from  which  and  before  which,  all 
the  most  important  events  of  the  whole  year  are 
reckoned.  This  convocation  is  to  them,  what  the 
Thanksgiving  day  is  to  the  New  England  people,  and 
it  occurs  at  about  the  same  time  of  the  year.  By  it, 
the  time  for  the  closing  of  the  summer  schools  and 


7  6  In  the  Country  [NO.  2s 

commencement  of  the  winter  schools  is  regulated,  and 
many  business  transactions  refer  to  this  time,  and  for 
months  previous  to  an  event  of  so  much  importance 
to  all,  every  member  in  the  family  from  the  oldest 
to  the  youngest,  anticipated  an  addition  to  his  or  her 
wardrobe.  This  is  so  well  understood  by  the  city 
merchants  and  milliners,  that  they  endeavor  to  make 
their  arrangements,  if  possible,  to  meet  all  the  de 
mands  upon  their  stock  of  fancy  and  dry  goods,  during 
this,  as  I  have  heard  them  say,  their  best  harvest-time 
in  all  the  year ;  while  Christians  in  anticipation  of 
a  glorious  revival  of  religion,  often  recall  to  mind  the 
most  eloquent  speakers  of  the  past  year,  and  ask  who 
are  expected  to  be  the  coming  season ;  and  the  prin 
cipal  topics  of  conversation  among  the  young  and 
gay  will  be,  costly  and  elegant  articles  of  dress,  who 
was  the  "  belle  "  last  year  and  who  probably  will  be 
this.  This  rage  for  dress  is  not  confined  to  the 
parlor  and  keeping  rooms,  but  extends  with  equal 
ardor  to  the  kitchen  and  field,  and  you  might  hear  the 
cook  at  the  corn  mill  and  women  bending  over  the 
plough,  each  saying,  she  must  have  a  new  pair  of  shoes, 
or  a  new  frock,  or  a  new  handkerchief  for  her  head. 

All  past  events  are  reckoned  from  the  last  camp- 
meeting.  For  instance,  you  will  hear  one  woman 
say,  she  has  had  a  bad  cough  ever  since  the  camp- 
meeting,  such  a  person  was  taken  sick  with  a  fever 
soon  after  the  camp-meeting,  another  died  or  was 
married  so  many  months  after  the  camp-meeting. 

The  removal  of  planters  from  their  summer  to 
their  winter  residences  occurs  at  this  time,  for  the 
hospitable  and  generous  planter  of  the  South,  on 
occasions  such  as  I  am  now  describing,  not  only 
makes  provision  for  the  entertainment  of  his  own 


NO.  28]  Camp    Meeting  7  j 

family  and  numerous  relations,  but  also  for  a  large 
company  of  strangers ;  therefore  he  is  obliged  to 
take  with  him  all  those  household  conveniences  that 
are  indispensable  to  the  comfort  and  good  order  of  a 
well  regulated  family  at  home.  Consequently,  they 
make  their  arrangements,  in  order  to  avoid  the  trouble 
of  one  extra  move  in  the  year,  to  go  with  all  their 
goods  and  chattels  from  their  summer  homes  to  the 
camp-ground,  and  from  thence  to  their  winter  quarters. 

The  camp-ground  I  visited  was  a  beautiful  square 
lot  of  forest  land  about  one  acre  and  a  half  in  extent, 
laid  out  amid  a  native  and  gigantic  growth  of  oaks 
several  miles  from  any  plantation.  On  every  side  of 
the  square,  all  fronting  the  centre,  the  fathers  of  the 
principal  families  constituting  these  assemblies  have 
each  their  own  family  residence.  These  little  habi 
tations  are  built  of  logs,  having. a  piazza  in  front,  and 
their  number  is  sufficient  to  enclose  the  entire  square  ; 
while  in  the  background  are  arranged  all  the  out 
houses  belonging  to  each,  such  as  the  kitchens,  stables 
for  the  horses,  as  also  pens  for  the  swine  and  folds 
for  the  herds  and  flocks,  and  coops  for  the  chickens, 
all  of  which  have  been  previously  stalled  for  the  com 
ing  slaughter ;  and  I  ought  not  to  forget  to  mention 
in  this  connection,  the  kennels  for  the  hounds  and 
watch  dogs,  which  are  needed  even  more  at  such 
places  than  on  the  plantations,  and  which  in  many 
parts  of  Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  constitute  the 
only  police  of  the  place. 

For  several  days  previous  to  the  commencement  of 
worship,  persons  from  all  quarters  within  the  distance 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  are  busy  in  the  transpor 
tation  of  all  kinds  of  food  and  articles  of  furniture : 
chairs,  tables,  beds  and  bedsteads,  cradles  for  babies, 


In  the  Country  [NO. 


and  coops  for  chickens,  all  heaped  upon  cotton  Jer 
sey  carts,  together  with  scores  of  men-servants  and 
women-servants  accompanied  by  a  large  supply  of 
the  canine  race  equally  as  well  pleased  as  their  mas 
ters  with  every  thing  new  and  exciting,  are  all  on 
the  move  to  the  same  spot. 

After  every  article  of  household  furniture  is  ar 
ranged  in  its  proper  place,  as  the  sailor  would  say, 
in  "sea  trim"  and  every  thing  reduced  to  order  and 
quiet,  the  whole  scene  within  the  camp-ground  as 
sumes  an  aspect  not  only  imposing  but  beautiful  and 
romantic  in  the  extreme,  and  particularly  so  in  the 
evening  and  during  the  intervals  of  worship,  when 
hundreds  of  young  and  joyous  people,  richly  and 
gaily  dressed,  could  be  seen  moving  in  all  directions, 
or  standing  in  small  groups  beneath  the  shade  of 
some  wide  spreading  tree. 

Every  man  has  erected  in  front  of  his  own  house 
a  platform  about  six  feet  from  the  ground  and  four 
or  five  feet  square,  upon  which  is  laid  earth  to  the 
depth  of  about  one  foot,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
foundation  for  a  fire,  which  is  lighted  every  evening 
as  soon  as  the  stars  begin  to  appear.  This  light  is 
kept  burning  till  towards  midnight  by  a  constant 
supply  of  pitch  wood  furnished  by  boys  whose  busi 
ness  it  is  to  see  that  the  whole  camp-ground  is  suffi 
ciently  lighted  during  the  convocation.  These  great 
fires  at  this  elevation  sent  forth  such  a  broad  and 
brilliant  sheet  of  light  in  all  directions,  that  those 
who  seated  themselves  in  front  of  their  dwellings 
could  read  with  perfect  ease  without  the  aid  of  any 
other  light,  and  while  millions  of  sparks  emitted 
from  the  burning  fagots  were  carried  up  amid 
wreaths  of  curling  smoke  and  lost  among  the  thick 


NO.  28j  Camp    Meeting  79 

boughs  of  the  trees.  The  older  members  of  the 
families  would  seat  themselves  beneath  the  piazzas 
to  witness  the  pastimes  of  the  children,  all  collected 
together  to  vie  with  each  other  in  the  dexterity  of 
trundling  the  hoop,  throwing  the  ball,  jumping  the 
rope  or  running  races.  In  all  these  sports  the  dogs 
sustained  a  part  by  no  means  the  least  conspicuous, 
with  caninish  glee  running  to  pick  up  the  fallen  hoop, 
bringing  back  the  ball  that  had  bounded  too  far,  and 
in  the  race,  often  outstripping  all  the  children. 

The  first  thing  in  the  morning,  just  as  the  sun  is 
rising,  this  sleeping  congregation  is  aroused  from  its 
slumbers  by  several  loud  and  long  blasts  from  a  hunt 
ing  trumpet,  to  attend  early  prayers,  consequently 
with  a  slight  attention  to  the  toilet,  the  members 
of  each  family  are  soon  collected  together  for  wor 
ship.  I  shall  never  forget  the  impression  made  upon 
my  mind,  the  first  time  I  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  be 
ing  present  at  one  of  these  scenes.  On  that  morning 
as  soon  as  we  were  assembled  the  master  of  the  family 
arose  and  in  a  sweet,  clear  and  strong  voice,  sung, 

"A  charge  to  keep  I  have, 
A  God  to  glorify.11 

We  were  assembled  in  that  part  of  the  house  called 
the  "  dining  hall,"  the  front  of  which  was  all  open 
to  the  public  view,  and  as  all  the  other  families 
were  similarly  situated,  the  songs  of  praise  which 
went  up  from  each  could  be  distinctly  heard  by  all 
the  rest,  as  they  resounded  that  morning  through 
every  part  of  the  camp-ground.  I  never  expect  to 
enjoy  another  scene  like  this  beneath  the  skies,  but 
in  the  language  of  the  poet  I  could  sincerely  say, 

"  My  willing  soul  would  stay, 
In  such  a  scene  as  this.11 


PART    III 

TRAVELLERS 


29,   A   Visit  to  the  Natural    Bridge 

BY  THE  MARQUIS  DE  CHASTELLUX  (1782) 

I  AM  too  near  the  Natural  Bridge  to  stop  at  other  The  Natural 
objects.     We  set  out  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,   Bridge  is  in 

,  ,  ,  1  1          11         i  r         •         i  the  moun- 

and  to  say  the  truth,  rather  heedlessly  ;  for  in  these  tains  of  west- 
mountains,  where  there  are  either  too  many  or  too  em  Virginia. 
few  roads,  people  always  think  they  have  given 
sufficient  directions  to  travellers,  who  seldom  fail  to 
go  astray.  This  is  the  common  fault  of  those  who 
instruct  others  in  what  they  themselves  are  well  ac 
quainted  with  ;  nor  are  the  roads  to  knowledge  exempt 
from  this  inconvenience.  After  riding  about  two 
miles  however,  we  luckily  met  a  man  who  had  just 
got  his  horse  shod  at  a  neighbouring  forge,  and  was 
returning  home,  followed  by  two  or  three  couple  of 
hounds. 

We  soon  entered  into  conversation  with  him,  and 
what  seldom  happens  in  America,  he  was  curious  to 
know  who  I  was,  and  whither  I  was  going.  My 
quality  of  a  General  Officer  in  the  French  service, 
and  the  desire  I  expressed  of  seeing  the  wonders  of 
his  country,  inspired  him  with  a  kind  of  affection  for 
G  81 


Travellers 


[No.  29 


me,  and  he  offered  to  be  our  conductor.  He  led  us 
sometimes  through  little  paths,  at  others  through 
woods,  but  continually  climbing  or  descending  moun- 


THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE. 


tains  ;  so  that  without  a  guide,  nothing  short  of  witch 
craft  could  have  enabled  us  to  find  the  road.  After 
we  had  thus  travelled  for  two  hours,  we  at  last  de 
scended  a  steep  declivity,  and  then  mounted  another ; 
during  which  time  he  endeavoured  to  render  the 
conversation  more  interesting.  At  last,  pushing  his 
horse  on  briskly,  and  stopping  suddenly,  he  said  to 
me,  "  You  desire  to  see  the  Natural  Bridge,  don't 
you  Sir  ?  You  are  now  upon  it,  alight  and  go  twenty 


NO.  29]  Natural  Bridge  83 

steps  either  to  the  right  or  left,  and  you  will  see  this 
prodigy."  I  had  perceived  that  there  was  on  each 
side  a  considerable  deep  hollow,  but  the  trees  had 
prevented  me  from  forming  any  judgment,  or  paying 
much  attention  to  it. 

Approaching  the  precipice,  I  saw  at  first  two  great 
masses  or  chains  of  rocks,  which  formed  the  bottom 
of  a  ravine,  or  rather  of  an  immense  abyss ;  but 
placing  myself,  not  without  precaution,  upon  the 
brink  of  the  precipice,  I  saw  that  these  two  buttresses 
were  joined  under  my  feet,  forming  a  vault,  of  which 
I  could  yet  form  no  idea  but  of  its  height.  After 
enjoying  this  magnificent  but  tremendous  spectacle, 
which  many  persons  could  not  bear  to  look  at,  I  went 
to  the  western  side,  the  aspect  of  which  was  not  less 
imposing,  but  more  picturesque. 

But  it  is  at  the  foot  of  these  rocks,  on  the  edge  of 
a  little  stream  which  flows  under  this  immense  arch, 
that  we  must  judge  of  its  astonishing  structure.  The 
arch  is  not  complete,  the  eastern  part  of  it  not  being 
so  large  as  the  western,  because  the  mountain  is  more 
elevated  on  this  than  on  the  opposite  side.  It  is  very 
extraordinary  that  at  the  bottom  of  the  stream  there 
appear  no  considerable  ruins,  no  trace  of  any  violent 
laceration,  which  could  have  destroyed  the  kernel  of 
the  rock,  and  have  left  the  upper  part  alone  subsist 
ing  ;  for  that  is  the  only  hypothesis  that  can  account 
for  such  a  prodigy.  We  can  have  no  possible  recourse 
either  to  a  volcano  or  a  deluge,  no  trace  of  a  sudden 
conflagration,  or  of  a  slow  and  tedious  undermining 
by  the  water. 


84  Travellers  [NO.  30 

30.    A   Tavern   near   the    Hudson 

BY  MARQUIS  DE  CHASTELLUX  (1788) 

BEING  very  dark,  it  was  not  without  difficulty  I 
passed  two  or  three  rivulets,  on  very  small  bridges, 
and  got  to  Courtheath's  Tavern.  This  Inn  is  lately 
established,  and  kept  by  young  people  without  for 
tune,  consequently  the  best  parts  of  the  furniture  are 
the  owner  and  his  family.  Mr.  Courtheath  is  a  young 
man  of  f our-and-twenty,  who  was  formerly  a  travelling 
dealer  in  stuffs,  toys.  The  depreciation  of  paper 
money,  or  perhaps  his  own  imprudence,  so  far  ruined 
him  as  to  oblige  him  to  leave  his  house  at  Morris- 
Town,  and  set  up  a  tavern  in  this  out  of  the  way 
place,  where  nothing  but  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
army  can  procure  him  a  few  customers.  He  has  two 
handsome  sisters,  well  dressed  girls,  who  wait  on  trav 
ellers  with  grace  and  coquetry.  Their  brother  says, 
he  will  marry  them  to  some  fat,  clumsy  Dutchmen, 
and  that  as  for  himself,  as  soon  as  he  has  got  a  little 
money,  he  shall  resume  his  commerce,  and  travel 
about  as  formerly.  On  entering  the  parlour,  where 
these  young  women  sit,  when  there  are  no  strangers, 
I  found  on  a  great  table,  Milton,  Addison,  Richardson, 
and  several  other  works  of  that  kind.  The  cellar 
was  not  so  well  stored  as  the  library,  for  there  was 
neither  wine,  cider,  nor  rum.  The  bill  they  pre 
sented  me  the  next  morning  amounted  nevertheless 
to  sixteen  dollars.  I  observed  to  Mr.  Courtheath, 
that  if  he  made  one  pay  for  being  waited  on  by  his 
pretty  sisters,  it  was  by  much  too  little ;  but  if  only 
for  lodgings  and  supper,  it  was  a  great  deal.  He 
seemed  a  little  ashamed  at  having  charged  too  high, 


NO.  3i]  Stage   Coach  85 

and  offered  to  make  a  pretty  considerable  abatement, 
which  I  refused,  content  with  having  shown  him,  that 
though  a  foreigner,  I  was  no  stranger  to  the  price  of 
articles,  and  satisfied  with  the  excuse  he  made  me, 
that  being  himself  a  stranger  and  without  property 
in  the  country,  he  was  obliged  to  purchase  every  thing. 
I  learned,  on  this  occasion,  that  he  hired  the  inn  he 
kept,  as  well  as  a  large  barn  which  served  for  a  stable, 
and  a  garden  of  two  or  three  acres,  for  eighty-four 
bushels  of  corn  a  year  :  in  fact,  the  depreciation  of 
paper  has  compelled  people  to  this  manner  of  making 
bargains,  which  is  perhaps  the  best  of  all,  but  is 
unquestionably  an  effectual  remedy  to  the  present 
disorder. 


31.    A   Day   in   a   Stage    Coach 

BY  BRISSOT  DE  WARVILLE  (1788) 

I   WENT  from  New  York  the  25th  of  August,  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  had  the  North  River 
to  pass  before  arriving  to  the  stage.     We  passed  the 
ferry  in  an  open  boat,  and    landed  at  Paulus  Hook:   North  River 
they  reckon  two  miles  for  this  ferry,  for  which  we  ^Hudson. 
pay  sixpence,  money  of  New  York. 

The  carriage  is  a  kind  of  open  wagon,  hung  with 
double  curtains  of  leather  and  woollen,  which  you 
raise  or  let  fall  at  pleasure.  But  the  road  was  so  fine, 
being  sand  and  gravel,  that  we  felt  no  inconvenience 
from  that  circumstance.  The  horses  are  good,  and 
go  with  rapidity.  These  carriages  have  four  benches, 
and  may  contain  twelve  persons.  The  light  baggage 
is  put  under  the  benches,  and  the  trunks  fixed  on 


86 


Travellers 


[No.  31 


behind.     A  traveller  who  does  not  choose  to  take  the 
stage,  has  a  one-horse  carriage  by  himself. 

Let  the  Frenchmen  who   have  travelled  in  these 
carriages,  compare  them  to  those  used  in  France ;  to 


A   STAGE   COACH    OF    1829. 

those  heavy  diligences,  where  eight  or  ten  persons 
are  stuffed  in  together;  to  those  cabriolets  in  the 
environs  of  Paris,  where  two  persons  are  closely  con 
fined,  and  deprived  of  air,  by  a  dirty  driver,  who 
torments  his  miserable  horses :  such  carriages  have 
to  run  over  the  finest  roads,  and  yet  make  but  one 
Three  miles,  league  an  hour.  If  the  Americans  had  such  roads, 
with  what  rapidity  would  they  travel,  since,  notwith 
standing  the  badness  of  many  highways,  they  now  run 
ninety-six  miles  in  a  day.  Thus,  with  only  a  century 
and  a  half  of  settlement,  and  in  the  face  of  a  thousand 
obstacles,  they  are  already  superior  to  people  who  have 
been  undisturbed  in  their  progress  of  fifteen  centuries. 
You  find  in  the  stages,  men  of  all  professions. 
They  succeed  each  other  with  rapidity.  One  who 
goes  but  twenty  miles,  yields  his  place  to  one  who 


NO.  3i]  Stage   Coach  87 

goes  farther.  The  mother  and  daughter  mount  the 
stage  to  go  ten  miles  to  dine ;  another  stage  brings 
them  back.  At  every  instant,  then,  you  are  making 
new  acquaintances.  The  frequent  passing  of  these 
carriages,  the  ease  of  finding  places  in  them,  and  the 
low  and  fixed  price,  invite  the  Americans  to  travel. 

The  stage-coaches  have  another  advantage,  they 
keep,  up  the  idea  of  equality.  The  member  of  Con 
gress  is  placed  by  the  side  of  the  shoemaker  who 
elected  him.  You  see  no  person  here  taking  upon 
himself  those  important  airs,  which  you  too  often 
meet  with  in  France.  In  that  country,  a  man  of  con 
dition  would  blush  to  travel  in  a  diligence  :  it  is  an 
ignoble  carriage ;  one  who  knows  not  with  whom  he 
may  find  himself.  Besides,  it  is  in  style  to  run  post ; 
this  style  serves  to  humiliate  those  who  are  con 
demned  to  a  sad  mediocrity.  It  is  then  fortunate  for 
America,  that  the  nature  of  things  prevents  distinction 
in  the  mode  of  travelling. 

The  son  of  Governor  Livingston  was  in  the  stage 
with  me ;  I  should  not  have  found  him  out,  so  civil 
and  easy  was  his  air,  had  not  the  tavern-keepers  from 
time  to  time  addressed  him  with  respectful  familiarity. 
I  am  told  that  the  governor  himself  often  uses  those 
stages.  You  may  have  an  idea  of  this  respectable 
man,  who  is  at  once  a  writer,  a  governor,  and  a  plow 
man,  on  learning  that  he  takes  a  pride  in  calling  him 
self  a  New  Jersey  farmer. 

The  American  stages,  then,  are  the  true  political 
carriages.  I  know  that  the  pctits  maitrcs  of  France  Dandies. 
would  prefer  a  gay  well-suspended  chariot ;  but  these 
carriages  roll  in  countries  of  Bastilles,  in  countries 
afflicted  with  great  inequality,  and  consequently  with 
great  misery. 


8  8  Travellers  [NO.  32 

32.    A   Troubled  Journey 

BY  FRANCIS  HOPKINSON  (1790) 

Though  Mr.  OUR  jaunt  had  been  the  daily  subject  of  discussion 

Hrobab]S°n  at  Breakfast,  dinner,  and  supper  for  a  month  before 

never  made  the  time  fixed  upon  for  putting  it  in  execution.     As 

precisely  this  our  daughter  Jenny   could  by  no  means  be  left  at 

journey,     he  ,  . 

recounts  the    home,  many  and  great  were  the  preparations  to  equip 
ordinary         Miss  and  her  Mamma  for  this  important  journey;  and 
the' way!        yet'  as  my  w^e  assured  rne,  there  was  nothing  pro 
vided  but  what  was  absolutely  necessary,  and  which 
we  could  not  possibly  do  without. 

At  last,  the  long  expected  day  arrived.  No 
sooner  was  it  fair  day-light,  but  up  started  my 
notable  wife,  and  soon  roused  the  whole  family.  The 
little  trunk  was  stuffed  with  baggage,  even  to  bursting, 
and  tied  behind  the  chair,  and  the  chair-box  was 
crammed  with  trumpery  which  we  could  not  possibly 
do  without.  Miss  Jenny  was  drest,  and  breakfast 
devoured  in  haste  :  the  old  negro  wench  was  called 
in,  and  the  charge  of  the  house  committed  to  her 
care;  and  the  two  apprentices  and  the  hired  maid 
received  many  wholesome  cautions  and  instructions 
for  their  conduct  during  our  absence,  all  which  they 
most  liberally  promised  to  observe. 

At  length,  however,  we  set  off,  and  turning  the  first 
corner,  lost  sight  of  our  habitation,  with  great  regret 
on  my  part,  and  no  less  joy  on  the  part  of  Miss  Jenny 
and  her  Mamma.  When  we  got  to  Poole's  Bridge, 
there  happened  to  be  a  great  concourse  of  wagons, 
and  carts,  so  that  we  could  not  pass  for  some  time  — 
Miss  Jenny  frightened  —  my  wife  very  impatient  and 
uneasy  —  wondered  I  did  not  call  out  to  those  im- 


NO.  32]  Troubled  journey  89 

pudent  fellows  to  make  way  for  us.  Having  got 
through  this  difficulty,  we  proceeded  without  obstruc 
tion  —  my  wife  in  good  humour  —  Miss  Jenny  in  high 
spirits.  At  Kensington  fresh  troubles  arise  —  "  Bless 
me,  Miss  Jenny,"  says  my  wife,  "  where  is  the  band 
box?  "  "  I  don't  know,  Mamma;  the  last  time  I  saw 
it,  it  was  on  the  table  in  your  room."  What's  to  be 
done?  the  band-box  is  left  behind  — it  contains  Miss 
Jenny's  new  wire-cap  — there  is  no  possibility  of  doing 
without  it  —  As  well  no  New  York  as  no  wire-cap 
-there  is  no  alternative,  we  must  even  go  back 
for  it. 

Teased  and  mortified  as  I  was,  my  good  wife 
administered  consolation  by  observing,  "  That  it  was 
my  business  to  see  that  every  thing  was  put  into  the 
chair  that  ought  to  be,  but  there  was  no  depending 
upon  me  for  any  thing;  and  that  she  plainly  saw  I 
undertook  this  journey  with  an  ill-will,  merely  because 
she  had  set  her  heart  upon  it."  Silent  patience  was 
my  only  remedy.  An  hour  and  an  half  restored  to  us 
this  essential  requisite  —  the  wire-cap,  and  brought  us 
back  to  the  place  where  we  first  missed  it. 

After  innumerable  difficulties  and  unparalleled  dan 
gers,  occasioned  by  ruts,  stumps,  and  tremendous 
bridges,  we  arrived  at  Neshamony  ferry  :  but  how  to 
cross  it  was  the  question.  My  wife  protested  that 
neither  she  nor  Jenny  would  go  over  in  the  boat  with 
the  horse.  I  assured  her  that  there  was  not  the  least 
danger ;  that  the  horse  was  as  quiet  as  a  dog,  and 
that  I  would  hold  him  by  the  bridle  all  the  way. 
These  assurances  had  little  weight :  the  most  forcible 
argument  was  that  she  must  go  that  way  or  not 
at  all,  for  there  was  no  other  boat  to  be  had.  Thus 
persuaded,  she  ventured  in  —  The  flies  were  trouble- 


9° 


Travellers  [NO.  32 


some —  the  horse  kicked —  my  wife  in  panics  —  Miss 
Jenny  in  tears. 

As  we  started  pretty  early,  and  as  the  days  were 
long,  we  reached  Trenton  by  two  o'clock.  Here 
we  dined.  My  wife  found  fault  with  every  thing ; 
and  whilst  she  disposed  of  what  I  thought  a  toler 
able  hearty  meal,  declared  there  was  nothing  fit  to 
eat.  Matters,  however,  would  have  gone  on  pretty 
well,  but  Miss  Jenny  began  to  cry  with  the  toothache. 
After  dinner  we  again  entered  upon  our  journey 

-  my  wife  in  good  humour  —  Miss  Jenny's  tooth 
ache  much  easier  —  various  chat  —  I  acknowledge 
every  thing  my  wife  says  for  fear  of  discomposing 
her.  We  arrive  in  good  time  at  Princeton.  My  wife 
and  daughter  admire  the  College.  We  refresh  our 
selves  with  tea,  and  go  to  bed  early,  in  order  to  be  up 
by  times  for  the  next  day's  expedition. 

In  the  morning  we  set  off  again  in  tolerable  good 
humour,  and  proceeded  happily  as  far  as  Rocky-hill. 
Here  my  wife's  fears  and  terrors  returned  with  great 
force.  I  drove  as  carefully  as  possible  ;  but  coming 
to  a  place  where  one  of  the  wheels  must  unavoidably 
go  over  the  point  of  a  small  rock,  my  wife,  in  a  great 
fright,  seized  hold  of  one  of  the  reins,  which  happen 
ing  to  be  the  wrong  one,  she  pulled  the  horse  so  as  to 
force  the  wheel  higher  up  the  rock  than  it  would 
otherwise  have  gone,  and  overset  the  chair.  We  were 
all  tumbled  hickledy-pickledy,  into  the  road  —  Miss 
Jenny's  face  all  bloody  —  the  woods  echo  to  her  cries 

—  my  wife  in  a  fainting  fit  —  and  I  in  great  misery. 
Matters  begin  to  mend  —  my  wife  recovers — Miss 
Jenny  has  only  received  a  slight  scratch  on  one  of 
her  cheeks  —  the  horse  stands  quite  still,  and  none 
of  the  harness  broke.  Matters  grew  worse  again  ; 


NO.  32]  Troubled   ^Journey  gi 

the  twine  with  which  the  band-box  was  tied  had  broke 
in  the  fall,  and  the  aforesaid  wire-cap  lay  soaking  in 
a  nasty  mud-puddle  —  grievous  lamentations  over  the 
wire-cap  —  all  my  fault  because  I  did  not  tie  it  better 
-  no  remedy  —  no  wire-caps  to  be  bought  at  Rocky- 
hill. 

After  passing  unhurt  over  the  imminent  dangers  of 
Passaiack  and  Hackensack  rivers,  and  the  yet  more 
tremendous  horrors  of  Pawlas  Hook  ferry,  we  arrived, 
at  the  close  of  the  third  day,  at  cousin  Snip's  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 

Here  we  sojourned  a  tedious  week  ;  my  wife  spent 
as  much  money  as  would  have  maintained  my  family 
for  a  month  at  home,  in  purchasing  a  hundred  use 
less  articles  which  we  could  not  possibly  do  without. 

On  the  seventh  day  my  wife  declared  that  my 
business  would  not  admit  of  a  longer  absence  from 
home  —  and  so  after  much  ceremony,  in  which  my 
wife  was  by  no  means  exceeded  by  her  polite  cousin, 
we  left  the  famous  city  of  New  York  ;  and  I  with 
heart-felt  satisfaction  looked  forward  to  the  happy 
period  of  our  safe  arrival  in  Water-street,  Philadelphia. 

But  this  blessing  was  not  to  be  obtained  without 
much  vexation  and  trouble  —  we  were  caught  in  a 
thunder  storm  — our  horse  failed,  by  which  we  were 
benighted  three  miles  from  our  stage  —  my  wife's 
panics  returned  —  Miss  Jenny  howled,  and  how  very 
miserable  I  was  made.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that,  after 
many  distressing  disasters,  we  arrived  at  the  door  of 
our  own  habitation  in  Water-street. 


Travellers 


[No.  33 


The  journey 
was  in  west 
ern  New 
York. 


33.    Travelling  by   Canoes 

BY  ISAAC  WELD   (1796) 

HAD  it  been  practicable,  it  was  our  intention  to 
have  proceeded  from  Bath  by  water ;  but  finding  that 
it  was  not,  we  once  more  set  off  on  foot,  and  pursued 
our  way  along  the  banks  of  the  river  till  we  came  to 
a  small  village  of  eight  or  ten  houses,  called  New- 
town,  about  thirty  miles  distant  from  Bath.  Here 
we  found  the  stream  tolerably  deep,  and  the  people 
informed  us,  that  excepting  at  one  or  two  narrow 
shoals,  they  were  certain  that  in  every  part  of  it, 
lower  down,  there  was  sufficient  water  for  canoes ; 
accordingly,  determined  to  be  our  own  watermen,  as 
we  were  five  in  number  including  our  servants,  we 
purchased  a  couple  of  canoes  from  two  farmers,  who 
lived  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  lashed  them  together, 
in  order  to  render  them  more  steady  and  safe,  put  our 
baggage  on  board,  and  boldly  embarked. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  on  a  remarkably  clear 
though  cold  afternoon  that  we  left  the  village,  and 
as  the  current  was  strong,  we  hoped  to  be  able  to 
reach  before  night  a  tavern,  about  six  miles  below 
Newtown.  For  the  first  two  miles  we  got  on  ex 
tremely  well ;  but  beyond  this  the  river  proving  to 
be  much  shallower  than  we  had  been  led  to  believe, 
we  found  it  a  matter  of  the  utmost  difficulty  to  pro 
ceed.  Our  canoes  repeatedly  struck  upon  the  shoals, 
and  so  much  time  was  consumed  in  setting  them  again 
free,  that  before  we  had  accomplished  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  our  voyage  the  day  closed. 

As  night  advanced  a  very  sensible  change  was 
observable  in  the  weather ;  a  heavy  shower  of  hail 


NO.  33]  Canoes  9  3 

came  pouring  down,  and  involved  us  in  thick  dark 
ness,  while  the  moon  was  obscured  by  a  cloud ;  our 
canoes  were  drifted  on  a  bank  in  the  middle  of  the 
river  by  the  current.  In  endeavouring  to  extricate 
ourselves  unfortunately,  owing  to  the  darkness,  we 
took  a  wrong  direction;  and  at  the  end  of  a  few  min 
utes  found  our  canoes  so  firmly  wedged  in  the  gravel 
that  it  was  impossible  to  move  them.  Nothing  now 
remained  to  be  done  but  for  every  one  of  us  to  jump 
into  the  water,  and  to  put  his  shoulder  to  the  canoes. 
This  we  accordingly  did,  and  having  previously  un- 
lashed  them  in  order  to  render  them  more  manageable, 
we  in  a  short  time  contrived  to  haul  one  of  them  into 
deep  water.  Here,  however,  the  rapidity  of  the  cur 
rent  was  so  great,  that  notwithstanding  all  our  en 
deavours  to  the  contrary,  the  canoe  was  forcibly 
swept  away  from  us,  and  in  the  attempt  to  hold  it 
fast  we  had  the  misfortune  to  see  it  nearly  filled  with 
water. 

Deprived  thus  of  one  of  our  canoes,  and  of  a  great 
part  of  our  baggage  in  it,  which,  for  aught  we  knew, 
was  irrecoverably  lost,  we  determined  to  proceed 
more  cautiously  with  the  remaining  one  ;  we  returned, 
therefore,  to  the  bank,  and  carried  every  thing  that 
was  in  the  canoe  on  our  shoulders  to  the  shore, 
which  was  about  forty  yards  distant ;  no  very  easy  or 
agreeable  task,  as  the  water  reached  up  to  our  waists, 
and  the  current  was  so  strong  that  it  was  with  the 
utmost  difficulty  we  could  keep  our  feet.  As  soon 
as  the  canoe  was  emptied,  we  brought  it,  as  nearly  as 
we  could  guess,  to  the  spot  where  the  other  one  had 
been  swept  away  from  us ;  and  one  of  the  party  then 
got  into  it  with  a  paddle,  and  we  committed  it  to  the 
stream,  hoping  that  it  would  be  carried  down  after 


94  Travellers  [NO.  33 

the  other,  and  that  thus  we  should  be  able  to  recover 
both  with  the  things  which  they  contained. 

In  a  few  seconds  the  stream  carried  the  canoe  out 
of  our  sight,  for  the  moon  shone  but  faintly  through  the 
clouds,  and  as  the  men  were  all  totally  unacquainted 
with  the  river,  we  could  not  but  feel  some  concern 
for  the  personal  safety  of  our  companion.  Before 
many  minutes  elapsed,  we  had  the  satisfaction  of 
hearing  his  voice  at  a  distance,  and  as  soon  as  we 
could  make  our  way  along  the  shore  to  the  spot 
whence  the  sound  proceeded,  we  had  the  satisfaction 
to  find  that  he  had  been  carried  in  safety  close  beside 
the  canoe  which  had  been  lost.  We  were  not  a  little 
pleased  also  at  finding  our  portmanteaus  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  canoe,  though  well  soaked  in  water ;  but 
such  of  our  clothes  as  we  had  taken  off  preparatory 
to  going  into  the  water,  together  with  several  light 
articles,  were  all  lost. 

It  froze  so  hard  that  in  a  few  minutes  our  port 
manteaus,  and  such  of  our  garments  as  had  been  wet, 
were  covered  with  a  coat  of  ice,  and  our  limbs  were 
quite  benumbed,  in  consequence  of  our  having  waded 
so  often  through  the  river.  Desirous,  as  we  were  to 
get  to  a  house,  we  determined  first  of  all,  to  put  our 
baggage  in  a  safe  place,  lest  it  might  be  pillaged. 
A  deep  hollow  under  some  fallen  trees  seemed  well 
adapted  for  the  purpose,  and  we  stowed  it  there,  and 
covered  it  with  leaves,  before  we  advanced  forward. 
There  were  no  traces  whatsoever  of  a  path  in  the 
woods  where  we  landed,  and  for  upwards  of  a  mile 
we  had  to  force  our  way  through  the  bushes  along 
the  banks  of  the  river  ;  but  at  the  end  of  that  distance 
we  hit  upon  one,  which  in  a  short  time  brought  us  to 
a  miserable  little  log  house.  At  this  house  no  accom- 


NO.  33]  Canoes  95 

modation  whatsoever  was  to  be  had ;  but  we  were 
told,  that  if  we  followed  the  path  through  the  woods 
for  about  a  mile  farther,  we  should  come  to  a  wagon 
road,  upon  which  we  should  find  another  house,  where 
probably  we  might  gain  admittance.  We  reached  this 
house  according  to  the  directions  we  had  received  and 
readily  gained  admittance ;  the  blaze  of  an  immense 
wood  fire,  piled  half  way  up  the  chimney,  soon  made 
us  amends  for  what  we  had  suffered. 

The  cold  of  the  air,  together  with  the  fatigue 
which  we  had  gone  through  in  the  course  of  the 
day,  had  by  this  time  given  a  keen  edge  to  our  appe 
tites.  No  sooner  had  we  warmed  ourselves  than  we 
began  to  make  enquiries  about  what  we  could  get  to 
satisfy  the  calls  of  hunger ;  but  had  we  asked  for  a 
sheep  or  an  ox  for  supper  at  an  inn  in  England,  the 
man  of  the  house  could  not,  I  verily  believe,  have 
been  more  amazed  than  was  our  American  landlord 
at  these  enquiries :  "  The  women  were  in  bed  "  — 
"He  knew  not  where  to  find  the  keys"  —  "  He  did 
not  believe  there  was  any  thing  in  the  pantry" 
"  Provisions  were  very  scarce  in  the  country" —  "If 
he  gave  us  any  there  would  not  be  enough  for  the 
family  in  the  morning"  —  Such  were  his  answers  to 
us.  However  we  plied  him  so  closely,  and  gave  him 
such  a  pitiable  description  of  our  sufferings,  that  at 
length  he  was  moved ;  the  keys  were  found,  the 
pantry  opened,  and  to  satisfy  the  hunger  of  five 
hungry  young  men,  two  little  flour  cakes,  scarcely  as 
big  as  a  man's  hand  each,  and  about  a  pint  and  a  half 
of  milk,  were  brought  forth.  He  vowed  he  could  give 
us  nothing  more ;  his  wife  would  never  pardon  him 
if  he  did  not  leave  enough  for  their  breakfasts  in  the 
morning.  Obliged  therefore  to  remain  satisfied,  we 


96 


Travellers  [NO.  33 


ate  our  little  pittance,  and  then  laid  ourselves  down 
to  rest  on  our  furs,  which  we  had  brought  with  us  on 
our  shoulders. 

In  the  morning  we  found  our  canoes  and  baggage 
just  as  we  had  left  them.  We  embarked  once  more, 
and  made  the  best  of  our  way  down  to  the  house 
where  we  had  ordered  breakfast,  which  stood  on  the 
banks  of  the  river.  The  people  here  were  extremely 
civil ;  they  assisted  us  in  making  fresh  paddles,  in 
lieu  of  those  which  we  had  lost  the  night  before. 

After  breakfast  we  continued  for  about  seven  miles 
down  the  river,  but  in  the  course  of  this  distance  we 
were  obliged  to  get  into  the  water  more  than  a  dozen 
different  times,  I  believe,  to  drag  the  canoes  over  the 
shoals.  By  the  time  we  arrived  at  a  house  in  the 
afternoon,  we  were  completely  disgusted  with  our 
water  conveyance  ;  and  had  we  not  been  able  to  pro 
cure  two  men,  to  conduct  our  canoes  to  the  mouth  of 
Tayoga  River,  where  there  was  reason  to  imagine 
that  the  water  would  be  found  deeper,  we  should 
certainly  have  left  them  behind  us. 

We  found  no  difficulty,  in  hiring  from  amongst  the 
watermen  accustomed  to  ply  on  the  river,  a  man  that 
was  perfectly  well  acquainted  with  it.  After  ex 
changing  our  two  canoes,  according  to  his  advice, 
for  one  of  a  very  large  size,  capable  of  holding  us  all 
conveniently,  we  renewed  our  voyage. 


NO.  34]  The   Ohio  97 

34.    A    Fiddler   on    the   Ohio 

BY  JAMES  HALL  (1820) 

IN  the  early  part  of  our  voyage  we  overtook  a  flat  This  gives  a 
boat  floating  down  the  stream,  and  in  passing,  were  hye[y  Plcture 

.....  of  the  life  on 

hailed  by  a  person  on  the  roof,  who  was  no  sooner  the  Ohio 
recognized   by  our  boatmen  than  a  murmur  of   joy   River- 
ran   throughout   the    boat.     In    a   few    minutes    the 
stranger   came   on   board,  and  was  received  with  a 


A   RIVER    SCENE. 


hearty  welcome  by  our  men,  who  saluted  him  by  the 
title  of  "  Pappy."  He  seemed  to  be  about  fifty  years 
of  age,  but  his  eye  had  all  the  fire,  and  his  step  the 
elasticity,  of  youth ;  a  continual  smile  lurked  among 
his  sly  features,  and  the  jest  was  ever  on  his  lips; 
while  an  affected  gravity,  a  drawling  accent,  and  a 
kind,  benevolent  manner,  which  accorded  well  with 
the  paternal  appellation  given  him  by  the  boatmen, 
marked  him  as  an  eccentric  being. 


98 


Travellers  [NO.  34 


"Our  Pappy  "  was  a  humorist,  and  his  sway  among 
his  fellow  boatmen  was  unlimited.  To  the  great 
joy  of  the  crew,  he  was  hired  for  the  trip,  and  has 
tened  back  to  the  flat,  to  bring,  as  he  expressed  it, 
"  Katy  and  his  plunder  on  board."  Katy,  whose 
merry  voice  we  soon  heard,  was  no  other  than  a  vio 
lin,  and  his  plunder  consisted  of  a  small  parcel  of 
clothing  tied  up  in  a  bandanna  handkerchief.  It  was 
I  suppose  his  all  —  had  it  been  less,  "  Old  Pap  "  would 
still  have  been  merry  ;  if  it  had  been  infinitely  greater 
he  would  still  have  joked  and  fiddled.  While  others 
worked,  he  would  sit  for  hours  scraping  upon  his 
violin,  singing  catches,  or  relating  merry  or  marvel 
lous  tales.  When  he  chose  to  labour  he  went  to  the 
oar,  when  inclined  to  trifle  he  held  off,  and  no  one 
questioned  his  motions ;  but,  whether  at  work  or  at 
play,  he  applied  himself  with  all  his  heart.  If  the 
boat  grounded  on  a  sand-bar,  he  was  the  first  to 
plunge  into  the  water ;  if  a  point  was  to  be  weath 
ered,  or  a  rapid  to  be  passed,  his  was  always  the 
best  oar ;  if  a  watch  was  to  be  kept  at  night,  who  so 
wakeful  as  he  ?  And  on  such  occasions,  he  would 
fiddle  and  sing  the  live-long  night.  In  short,  with  the 
affectation,  and  somewhat  of  the  appearance  of  age,  he 
was  the  gayest,  most  active,  and  stoutest  man  on  board  ; 
and  I  was  told  that  there  were  but  few  men  along  the 
river,  who  would  have  undertaken  to  handle  "Old  Pap." 

This  new  recruit  proved  a  great  acquisition,  for, 
like  all  other  merry  men,  he  was  the  cause  of  merri 
ment  in  others.  He  kept  our  own  crew  in  good 
humour,  and  hailed  every  boat  we  passed  with  some 
stroke  of  pleasantry.  More  than  once  he  enacted 
chief  musician  at  dances,  at  the  hovels  along  shore, 
near  which  we  lay  by  for  the  night. 


NO.  35]  Early   Steamboat  99 

35.    An    Early   Steamboat 

BY  FRANCIS  HALL  (1816) 

I  EMBARKED  on  the  Qth  of  March,  in  the  Paragon 
steam  packet,  from  New  York  to  Albany.  The  win 
ter  had  been  less  severe  than  usual,  which  induced 
the  captain  to  attempt  making  his  way  up  the  Hudson 
earlier  than  is  customary.  These  steam-boats  are 
capable  of  accommodating  from  two  to  three  hundred 
passengers ;  they  are  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  in  length,  and  as  elegant  in  their  construction  as 
the  awkward-looking  machinery  in  the  centre  will 
permit.  There  are  two  cabins,  one  for  the  ladies, 
into  which  no  gentleman  is  admitted  without  the  con 
currence  of  the  whole  company.  The  interior  ar 
rangements  on  the  whole,  resemble  those  of  our  best 
packets.  I  was  not  without  apprehension,  that  a  din 
ner  in  such  a  situation,  for  above  a  hundred  and  fifty 
persons,  would  very  much  resemble  the  scramble  of 
a  mob  ;  but  I  was  agreeably  surprised  by  a  dinner 
handsomely  served,  very  good  attendance,  and  a  gen 
eral  attention  to  quiet  and  decorum.  Indeed  when 
the  cabin  was  lighted  up  for  tea  and  sandwiches  in 
the  evening,  it  more  resembled  a  ball-room  supper, 
than,  as  might  have  been  expected,  a  stage-coach 
meal.  The  charge,  including  board,  from  New  York 
to  Albany,  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  is  seven  dol 
lars. 

We  started  under  the  auspices  of  a  bright  frosty 
morning.  The  first  few  minutes  were  naturally  spent 
by  me  in  examining  the  machinery,  by  means  of 
which  our  huge  leviathan,  with  such  evident  ease, 
won  her  way  against  the  opposing  current.  More 


I-OO 


Travellers 


[No.  35 


interesting  objects  are  breaking  fast  on  the  view ;  on 
our  right  are  the  sloping  sides  of  New  York  Island, 
studded  with  villas,  over  a  soil  from  which  the  hand 
of  cultivation  has  long  since  rooted  its  woodland  glo 
ries,  and  substituted  the  more  varied  decorations  of 
park  and  shrubbery,  intersected  with  brown  stubbles 
and  meadows  ;  on  our  left,  the  bold  features  of 
nature  rise,  as  in  days  of  yore,  unimpaired,  unchange 
able  ;  grey  cliffs,  like  aged  battlements,  tower  perpen- 


AN    EARLY   STEAMBOAT. 


dicularly  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  height  of 
several  hundred  feet.  Hickory,  dwarf  oak,  and 
stunted  cedars  twist  fantastically  within  their  crevices, 
and  deepen  the  shadows  of  each  glen  into  which  they 
occasionally  recede ;  huge  masses  of  disjointed  rocks 
are  scattered  at  intervals  below ;  here  the  sand  has 
collected  sufficiently  to  afford  space  for  the  wood 
man's  hut,  but  the  narrow  waterfall,  which  in  summer 
turns  his  saw-mill,  is  now  a  mighty  icicle  glittering 
to  the  morning  sun  ;  here  and  there  a  scarcely  percep- 


NO.  35]  Early   Steamboat  101 

tible  track  conducts  to  the  rude  wharf,  from  which 
the  weather-worn  lugger  receives  her  load  of  timber 
for  the  consumption  of  the  city. 

Evening  began  to  close  in  as  we  approached  the 
highlands :  the  banks  on  either  side  towered  up  more 
boldly,  and  a  wild  tract  of  mountain  scenery  rose  be 
yond  them.  The  river,  which  had  been  gradually 
widening,  now  expanded  into  a  capacious  lake,  to 
which  the  eye  could  distinguish  no  outlet ;  flights  of 
wild  fowl  were  skimming  over  its  smooth  surface  to 
their  evening  shelter,  and  the  last  light  of  day  rested 
faintly  on  a  few  white  farm  houses,  glimmering  at 
intervals  from  the  darkening  thickets.  Ver-Planks 
Point  shuts  the  northern  extremity  of  this  first  basin ; 
then  the  river  continues  its  course  within  a  cliff- 
bound  channel,  until,  after  a  few  miles,  it  again  opens 
out  amid  the  frowning  precipices  of  West  Point. 
Here  are  the  same  features  of  scenery  as  at  Ver- 
Planks  Point,  but  loftier  mountains  skirt  the  lake ; 
and  cliffs  of  more  gigantic  stature  almost  hang  over 
the  gliding  sail. 

This  was  the  land  of  romance  to  the  early  settlers  : 
Indian  tradition  had  named  the  highlands  the  prison 
within  which  Manetho  confined  the  spirits  rebellious 
to  his  power,  until  the  mighty  Hudson,  rolling 
through  the  stupendous  defiles  of  West  Point,  burst 
asunder  their  prison  house ;  but  they  long  lingered 
near  the  place  of  their  captivity,  and  as  the  blasts 
howled  through  the  valleys,  echo  repeated  their  groans 
to  the  startled  ear  of  the  solitary  hunter,  who  watched 
by  his  pine-tree  fire  for  the  approach  of  morning. 
The  lights,  which  occasionally  twinkled  from  the 
sequestered  bay,  or  wooded  promontory,  sufficiently 
told  that  these  fancies,  like  the  Indians,  who  had  in- 


i  o  2  Travellers  [NO.  36 

vented  or  transmitted  them,  must  by  this  time  have 
given  way  to  the  unpoetic  realities  of  civilised  life. 

Masses  of  floating  ice,  which  had,  at  intervals 
through  the  evening,  split  upon  the  bow  of  our  ark, 
became  so  frequent  immediately  on  our  passing  West 
Point  as  to  oblige  us  to  come  to  anchor  for  the  night ; 
a  pretty  sure  prognostic  that  there  was  nearly  an  end 
to  our  feather-bed  travelling.  The  next  morning  we 
found  ourselves  lying  close  to  the  flourishing  little 
settlement  of  Newburgh,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river.  Our  captain  concluded  to  terminate  his  voyage 
here,  and  moved  over  to  Fishkill,  on  the  opposite 
shore,  to  give  us  means  of  accommodating  ourselves 
with  conveyances,  in  the  best  way  we  could. 


36.    A   Canal   Trip 

BY  C.  D.  ARFWEDSON  (1825) 

ON  returning  to  Schenectady,  I  availed  myself  of 
a  canal-boat  on  the  point  of  starting  for  Utica.  These 
boats  are  generally  very  long,  but  low,  in  conse 
quence  of  the  many  bridges  thrown  across  the  canal, 
beneath,  which  they  must  pass.  They  are  fitted  up 
with  two  rooms,  one  inside  the  other,  taking  up  the 
whole  length  of  the  boat,  with  small  windows  on 
the  sides.  The  inner  room  belonged  exclusively  to 
the  ladies,  and  was  considered  as  a  sanctuary  into 
which  the  profane  dared  not  set  foot ;  the  outer  one 
again  was  used  both  as  a  drawing,  dining,  and  bed 
room  for  the  gentlemen. 

When  —  as  was  the  case  now  —  the  number  of  trav 
ellers  exceeded  thirty,  the  prospect  of  remaining  on 


NO.  36j  _A  Canal  Trip  103 

board  twenty-two  hours  was  not  very  agreeable.  It 
was  impossible  either  to  walk,  to  sit,  or  to  lie  down. 
Moving  about  upon  deck  was  out  of  the  question, 
owing  to  the  number  of  bridges  beneath  which  we 
had  to  pass ;  at  every  passage  it  became  necessary 
for  the  whole  company  to  lie  down  flat,  to  avoid 
being  swept  away  by  the  beams  of  the  bridge.  As 
soon  as  we  approached  one,  which  happened  every 
five  minutes,  the  steersman  called  out,  "  Bridge ! " 
and  at  the  same  instant  the  company  fell  prostrate. 
It  was  ludicrous  for  a  while  to  take  part  in  this 
manoeuvre  ;  in  the  long  run,  however,  it  became  weari 
some,  and  no  other  alternative  was  left  but  to  go  down, 
by  way  of  change,  into  the  close  and  narrow  cabin. 

Night  made  our  situation  still  more  uncomfortable. 
Although  three  tiers  of  beds,  one  above  another,  had 
been  fitted  up  on  the  sides,  their  number  proved 
insufficient;  the  floor  was  covered  with  mattresses. 
Had  I  been  permitted  to  select  a  sleeping  place,  I 
should  unquestionably  have  preferred  a  mattress  on 
the  floor,  for  the  beds  on  the  sides  were  only  slung 
by  a  cord  to  the  top  :  had  that  given  way  the  whole 
sleeping  apparatus  would  have  been  precipitated  to 
the  floor ;  and  the  consequences  might  have  been 
serious,  from  the  weight  of  some  of  the  travellers. 
Unfortunately,  nearly  all  had  the  same  idea  as  .my 
self.  The  captain,  a  peaceable  man,  who  wished  to 
accommodate  every  one,  saw  that  it  was  not  in  his 
power  to  do  so,  except  by  drawing  lots  for  the  berths. 
I  drew  my  number  with  a  trembling  hand,  and  behold  ! 
it  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the  lowest  beds  on  the  side. 

The  prospect  now  darkened  indeed :  to  lie  down, 
having  two  other  berths  occupied  by  heavy  inmates 
above,  and  only  supported  by  small  cords,  was  not  a 


1 04  Travellers  [NO.  36 

pleasant  prospect.  But  what  was  to  be  done  ?  I  had 
no  other  chance  but  quietly  to  take  my  place,  unless 
I  chose  to  spend  the  night  on  deck ;  and  this  was 
still  more  objectionable,  owing  to  a  heavy  rain  which 
continued  till  the  following  morning.  I  thought  it 
prudent,  however,  to  enter  into  a  conversation  with 
the  occupants  of  the  upper  regions,  stipulating  that 
they  should  remain  quiet  in  their  berths,  and  that,  if 
a  change  of  position  became  absolutely  necessary, 
they  should  inform  me  beforehand  of  their  intention, 
to  guard  against  the  possibility  of  accidents.  Imme 
diately  above  me  lay  a  young  man,  who,  by  his  re 
served  and  strange  behaviour,  had  already  attracted 
my  attention ;  and  above  him  rested  an  excessively 
fat  man,  whose  frame  took  up  more  room  than  was 
allotted  to  two. 

The  beginning  of  the  night  was  rather  auspicious ; 
I  already  felt  reconciled  to  my  unpleasant  situation, 
and  amused  myself  by  listening  to  the  different 
sounds,  from  the  finest  tenor  to  the  strongest  bass, 
proceeding  from  the  snoring  gentry.  A  sudden 
thump  against  my  side  of  the  boat  at  length  spread 
consternation  among  the  travellers.  The  shock, 
occasioned  by  another  craft  coming  too  close  to  ours, 
was  so  violent,  that  the  beams  cracked,  and  the  doors 
flew  open.  About  a  dozen  sleeping  individuals  were 
precipitated  from  the  second  and  third  tier  on  the 
unfortunate  beings  who  were  lying  on  the  floor. 
One  cord  gave  way  after  another.  Snoring  ceased : 
lamentations  filled  the  room.  All  were  running, 
shoving  against  each  other,  and  making  a  noise  in 
the  dark  :  confusion,  in  short,  was  at  its  height,  until 
the  captain  reported  that  there  was  no  danger,  and 
the  berths  were  soon  again  in  use. 


FANNY    KEMBLE. 


i  o  6  Travellers  LN°-  37 

37.    Hudson    River   and   Young 
Folks 

BY  FRANCES  ANNE  KEMBLE  (1832) 

AT  six  o'clock  Dick  roused  me;  and  grumpily 
enough  I  arose.  Really  by  way  of  a  party  of 
pleasure,  'tis  too  abominable  to  get  up  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  night  this  fashion.  At  half  past  six, 
Colonel  Wilson  came,  and  we  set  off  to  walk  to 
the  quay.  Just  as  we  were  nearing  the  bottom  of 
Barclay  street,  the  bell  rang  from  the  steamboat,  to 
summon  all  loiterers  on  board ;  and  forthwith  we 
rushed,  because  in  this  country  steam  and  paddles, 
like  wind  and  tide  in  others,  wait  for  no  man.  We 
got  on  board  in  plenty  time,  but  Dick  was  nearly 
killed  with  the  pace  at  which  we  had  walked,  in 
order  to  do  so.  One  of  the  first  persons  we  saw 
was  Mr.  Hoyt,  who  was  going  up  to  his  father's 
place  beyond  West  Point,  by  name  Hyde  Park, 
which  sounds  magnificent.  I  did  not  remain  long 
on  the  second  deck,  but  ascended  to  the  first  with 
Colonel  Wilson,  and  paced  to  and  fro  with  infinite 
zeal  till  breakfast  time. 

The  morning  was  grey  and  sad  looking,  and  I 
feared  we  should  not  have  a  fine  day :  however, 
towards  eight  o'clock  the  grey  clouds  parted,  and 
the  blue  serene  eyes  of  heaven  looked  down  upon 
the  waters,  the  waves  began  to  sparkle,  though  the 
sun  had  not  yet  appeared  ;  the  sky  was  lighter,  and 
faint  shadows  began  to  appear  beside  the  various 
objects  that  surrounded  us,  all  which  symptoms 
raised  our  hopes  of  the  weather.  At  eight  o'clock 


NO.  37]  Hudson ,  River  107 

we  went*  down  to  breakfast.  Nobody  who  has  not 
seen  it,  can  conceive  the  strange  aspect  of  the  long 
room  of  one  of  these  fine  boats  at  meal-time.  The 
crowd,  the  hurry,  the  confusion  of  tongues,  like  the 
sound  of  many  waters,  the  enormous  consumption  of 
eatables,  the  mingled  demands  for  more,  the  cloud 
of  black  waiters  hovering  down  the  sides  of  the 
immense  tables,  the  hungry,  eager  faces  seated  at 
them,  form  altogether  a  most  amusing  subject  of 
contemplation,  and  a  caricaturist  would  find  ample 
matter  for  his  vein  in  almost  every  other  devouring 
countenance. 

As  far  as  regards  the  speed,  safety,  and  conven 
ience  with  which  these  vessels  enable  one  to  perform 
what  would  be  in  any  other  conveyance  most  fatigu 
ing  journeys,  they  are  admirable  inventions.  The 
way  in  which  they  are  conducted,  too,  deserves  the 
highest  commendation.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  com 
fort  with  which  they  are  fitted  up,  the  skill  with 
which  they  are  managed,  and  the  order  and  alac 
rity  with  which  passengers  are  taken  up  from,  or 
landed  at  the  various  points  along  the  river.  The 
steamer  goes  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour, 
and  in  less  than  two  minutes  when  approaching  any 
place  of  landing,  the  engine  stops,  the  boat  is  low 
ered —  the  captain  always  convoys  his  passengers 
himself  from  the  steamer  to  the  shore  —  away  darts 
the  tiny  skiff,  held  by  a  rope  to  the  main  boat ;  as 
soon  as  it  grazes  the  land,  its  freight,  animate  and 
inanimate,  is  bundled  out,  the  boat  hauls  itself  back 
in  an  instant,  and  immediately  the  machine  is  in 
motion,  and  the  vessel  again  bounding  over  the  water 
like  a  race-horse. 

Doubtless  all  this  has  many  and  great  advantages ; 


i  o  8  Travellers  [NO.  37 

but  to  an  English  person,  the  mere  circumstance  of 
being  the  whole  day  in  a  crowd  is  a  nuisance.  In 
spite,  therefore,  of  all  its  advantages,  this  mode  of 
journeying  has  its  drawbacks.  And  the  greatest  of 
all,  to  me,  is  the  being  companioned  by  so  many 
strangers,  who  crowd  about  you,  pursue  their  con 
versation  in  your  very  ears,  or,  if  they  like  it  better, 
listen  to  yours,  stare  you  out  of  all  countenance,  and 
squeeze  you  out  of  all  comfort.  I  think  this  constant 
living  in  public  is  one  reason  why  the  young  women 
here  are  much  less  retiring  and  shy  than  English 
girls.  Instead  of  the  domestic  privacy  in  which 
women  among  us  are  accustomed  to  live  and  move, 
and  have  their  being,  here  they  are  incessantly,  as 
Mr.  Mayne  says,  "en  evidence"  Accustomed  to  the 
society  of  strangers,  mixing  familiarly  with  persons 
of  whom  they  know  nothing  earthly,  subject  to  the 
gaze  of  a  crowd  from  morning  till  night,  pushing, 
and  pressing,  and  struggling  in  self-defence,  con 
versing,  and  being  conversed  with,  by  the  chance 
companions  of  a  boarding-house,  a  steamboat,  or 
the  hotel  of  a  fashionable  watering-place ;  they 
must  necessarily  lose  everything  like  reserve  or 
bashfulness  of  deportment,  and  become  free  and 
familiar  in  their  manners,  and  noisy  and  unrefined 
in  their  tone  and  style  of  conversation.  An  Eng 
lish  girl  of  sixteen,  put  on  board  one  of  these  Noah's 
arks,  (for  verily  there  be  clean  and  unclean  beasts  in 
them,)  would  feel  and  look  like  a  scared  thing.  The 
term  which  I  should  say  applied  best  to  the  tone 
and  carriage  of  American  girls  from  ten  to  eighteen, 
is  hoydenish ;  laughing,  giggling,  romping,  flirting, 
screaming  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  running  in  and 
out  of  shops,  and  spending  a  very  considerable  por- 


NO. 3s]  Child 's   Voyage  109 

tion  of  their  time  in  lounging  about  in  the  streets. 
In  Philadelphia  and  Boston,  almost  all  the  young 
ladies  attend  classes  or  day  schools,  and  in  the  latter 
place,  I  never  went  out,  morning,  noon,  or  evening, 
that  I  did  not  meet,  in  some  of  the  streets  round  the 
Tremont  House,  a  whole  bevy  of  young  school  girls, 
who  were  my  very  particular  friends,  but  who,  under 
pretext  of  going  to,  or  returning  from  school,  appeared 
to  me  to  be  always  laughing,  and  talking,  and  run 
ning  about  in  the  public  thoroughfares ;  a  system  of 
education  which  we  should  think  by  no  means  desir 
able.  The  entire  liberty  which  the  majority  of  young 
ladies  are  allowed  to  assume,  at  an  age  when  in  Eng 
land  they  would  be  under  strict  nursery  discipline, 
appears  very  extraordinary ;  they  not  only  walk  alone 
in  the  streets,  but  go  out  into  society,  where  they  take 
a  determined  and  leading  part,  without  either  mother, 
aunt,  or  chaperon  of  any  sort ;  custom,  which  renders 
such  an  appendage  necessary  with  us,  entirely  dis 
penses  with  it  here ;  the  reason  of  this  is  obvious 
enough  in  the  narrow  circles  of  these  small  towns, 
where  every  body  knows  every  body. 


38.     A   Child's    Voyage   on   the 
Ohio  ' 

BY  HENRY  M.  BRACKENRIDGE  (1834) 

THE  good  squire  brought  me  back  to  Pittsburg, 
riding  behind  him  on  horseback.  I  remember  the 
smell  of  the  coal-smoke  in  coming  down  Coal  Hill, 
and  was  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the  syca- 


1 1  o  Travellers  [NO.  3s 

mores  growing  along  the  bank  of  the  Monongahela, 
with  the  milk-white  bark  of  their  trunks  and  branches. 
My  father  seemed  pleased  with  my  speaking  Ger 
man,  which  would  not  have  been  the  case  if  he  had 
understood  the  language.  He  always  entertained  a 
very  high  idea  of  the  importance  of  this  kind  of 
acquirement,  and  would  often  repeat  the  saying, 
"  that  a  man  doubles  himself  by  learning  another 
language."  For  this  reason,  or  perhaps  in  conse 
quence  of  some  original  plan  of  education,  he  con 
ceived  the  idea  of  sending  me  to  a  French  village  in 
Louisiana,  in  order  to  pass  the  time  in  acquiring  that 
important  language,  which  might  otherwise  have  been 
spent  in  rolling  hoops  or  playing  marbles  in  the  street. 
A  French  gentleman  of  his  acquaintance  was  about 
to  visit  St.  Genevieve,  a  village  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  consented  to  take  me  with  him.  Without  re 
garding  the  distance,  which  was  fifteen  hundred 
miles,  through  a  wilderness,  and  at  that  time  the 
theater  of  a  bloody  Indian  war,  it  was  resolved  to 
seize  the  opportunity  which  presented  itself  of  exe 
cuting  his  design.  It  was  therefore  settled  that  I 
should  accompany  the  French  gentleman,  who  en 
gaged  to  place  me  in  a  French  family,  where  I  might 
learn  the  language.  Although  nothing  could  have 
been  better  intended  than  this  measure,  it  is  one 
which  few  persons  will  approve.  It  is  true  I  learned 
the  French  language,  from  which  I  afterward  derived 
both  pleasure  and  advantage,  and  it  was  my  fortune 
to  fall  into  good  hands  ;  but  it  might  have  been  other 
wise. 

It  must  have  been  in  the  spring  of  the  year  when 
I  left  Pittsburg,  for  the  water  was  high,  and  I  recol 
lect  seeing  some  garden-flowers  growing  wild.  When 


No.38j  Child's  Voyage  111 

I  went  into  the  flat-boat,  poor  Joe  could  with  diffi 
culty  be  prevented  from  accompanying  me ;  he  wept 
bitterly  and  embraced  me  affectionately.  With  the 
exception  of  the  French  gentleman  in  whose  charge 
I  was  placed,  my  companions,  at  least  for  a  consider 
able  part  of  the  way,  were,  of  all  others,  the  most 
likely  to  be  pernicious  to  a  child  of  my  age ;  they 
consisted  of  common  soldiers,  to  the  number  of  thirty, 
under  the  command  of  an  ensign,  on  their  way  to  the 
army.  It  was  fortunate  for  me  that,  owing  to  the 
high  waters,  this  part  of  our  voyage  was  short  in  its 
duration,  although  the  distance  was  five  hundred 
miles. 

A  little  incident  also  happened  shortly  after  our 
departure,  which  placed  me  at  some  distance  from 
my  companions  of  the  voyage.  My  trunk  was 
broken  open,  and  six  shillings  in  silver,  which  had 
purchased  my  consent  to  depart  from  my  native 
spot,  were  taken  out  by  one  unknown.  The  soldiers 
were  suspected  ;  the  ensign,  who  was  indignant,  made 
strict  search  to  no  purpose,  and  on  receiving  some 
insolent  language  from  a  corporal  or  sergeant,  drew 
his  sword,  struck  him  over  the  head  —  the  purple 
stream  followed  the  blow.  Such  circumstances  stamp 
themselves  strongly  on  the  infant  mind,  and  I  ascribe 
to  it  a  dislike  which  I  have  to  military  discipline. 

I  can  recollect  but  few  particulars  of  the  voyage. 
In  my  childish  simplicity,  I  thought  we  had  reached 
the  end  of  the  river  when  we  came  to  a  part  where 
the  stream  turns  suddenly  to  the  left,  apparently  pre 
senting  a  barrier  of  hills  athwart  its  course.  Being 
by  this  time  tired  of  the  voyage,  I  asked  them  to 
take  me  back.  In  the  evening  I  was  put  to  a  new 
trial ;  a  piece  of  fat  pork,  chocolate  in  a  tin  cup,  and 


ii2  Travellers  [NO.  3s 

some  ship-biscuit  were  given  to  me  for  supper.  The 
fat  meat  disgusted  me ;  the  chocolate  was  unpala 
table  ;  but  being  afraid  to  make  known  these  an 
tipathies,  the  offensive  mess  was  privately  thrown 
overboard.  I  soon  found,  however,  that  there  is 
no  cure  like  starving  for  an  overdelicate  appetite ; 
and  after  awhile  my  disgust  was  gradually  placed 
under  control.  I  consider  this  a  valuable  practical 
lesson.  How  many  a  spoilt  child  have  I  seen,  who 
might  be  cured  by  the  discipline  of  the  flat-boat ! 

In  ten  days  we  reached  the  encampment  of  General 
Wayne,  at  a  place  called  Hobson's  Choice,  now  a  part 
of  the  City  of  Cincinnati.  I  have  no  distinct  recol 
lection  of  the  appearance  of  the  Ohio  River  in  the 
course  of  our  descent,  except  that,  instead  of  being 
enlivened  by  towns  and  farms  along  its  banks,  it  was 
a  woody  wilderness,  shut  in  to  the  water's  edge. 
Excepting  the  openings  and  clearings  made  for  the 
camp,  the  ground  was  covered  by  lofty  trees  and 
entangled  vines. 

We  remained  here  but  a  few  days,  when  we  floated 
off  again  into  the  stream ;  our  party  now  consisted 
of  my  guardian  (as  I  will  call  him)  and  another  man, 
and  a  little  boy  about  my  own  age.  We  now  pro 
ceeded  as  silently  as  we  could,  keeping,  as  near  as 
possible,  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river,  from 
apprehension  of  the  Indians. 

I  do  not  remember  Louisville,  or  "  the  Falls  "  as 
the  place  was  then  called  ;  the  waters  being  high,  the 
rapids  were  probably  not  visible,  and  the  boat  passed 
over  them  as  over  any  other  part  of  the  river  From 
this  place  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  about  five  hun 
dred  miles,  the  banks  presented  an  uninterrupted 
wilderness;  the  solitude  was  not  disturbed  by  a  single 


NO.  38]  Child' 's   Voyage  113 

human  voice  out  of  our  boat.  We  encountered  a 
river  storm,  not  many  miles  from  the  Mississippi; 
the  waves  tossed  us  about,  and  dashed  over  the  sides 
of  the  boat,  threatening  either  to  overwhelm  us,  or 
to  cast  us  on  a  desert  shore.  What  a  contrast  to  the 
gentle  Ohio  was  presented  when  we  entered  the 
current  of  the  mighty  "  father  of  rivers,"  with  his 
prodigious  volume  rolling  in  turbid  eddies  and  whirls, 
with  whole  forests  of  driftwood  on  his  surface  !  We 
were  swiftly  hurried  along,  and  soon  reached  New 
Madrid,  the  termination  of  our  voyage.  This  place 
was  then  a  small  Spanish  military  post ;  as  we 
approached  the  landing,  a  soldier  or  officer  made 
his  appearance  on  the  bank,  and  nourished  his  sword 
with  a  fierce,  consequential  air ;  all  this  for  the 
purpose  of  indicating  the  place  for  us  to  land. 


A  TOLL   GATE. 


ii4  Travellers  [NO.  39 

39.    A   Bear   Fight 

BY  HENRY  M.  BRACKENRIDGE    (1834) 

IN  ascending  the  Ohio,  as  the  banks  were  unin 
habited,  and  there  were  no  boats  going  down,  we 
often  suffered  severely  from  the  want  of  provisions. 
Excepting  two  log-cabins,  at  Red  Bank,  there  was  no 
habitation  until  we  reached  the  Falls.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  painful  sensations  of  hunger  which  I  en 
dured,  when  we  were  a  day,  or  sometimes  two  days, 
without  anything  to  eat.  A  sufficient  supply  of  pro 
visions  had  not  been  laid  in  before  starting,  and  our 
hunters  frequently  disappointed  us.  Not  far  from 
the  Wabash,  on  the  Indian  side  of  the  river,  a  small 
herd  of  buffaloes  was  one  day  observed,  perhaps 
among  the  last  ever  seen  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 
Our  boat  landed,  in  order  to  afford  an  opportunity  to 
those  who  had  guns  to  approach  the  game  through 
the  woods.  Four  of  the  men  slipped  up  through 
the  bushes,  and,  selecting  a  buffalo  bull,  fired  their 
rifles  at  once  at  his  head ;  but  they  either  missed,  or 
their  bullets  could  not  penetrate  his  skull.  Another 
was  more  fortunate,  or  more  judicious,  in  choosing 
out  a  large  calf,  which  he  shot  and  secured,  and 
brought  us  a  most  acceptable  supply  of  fresh  meat. 

Once,  having  encamped  somewhat  later  than  usual, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  a  beautiful  grove  of  sugar- 
trees,  we  found,  after  kindling  our  fires,  that  a  large 
flock  of  turkeys  had  taken  up  their  night's  lodgings 
over  our  heads :  some  ten  or  twelve  of  them  were 
soon  taken  down  for  our  supper  and  breakfast.  But 
it  was  not  often  we  were  so  fortunate ;  and  one  after 
noon  in  particular,  after  having  suffered  much  from 


NO.  39]  A  Bear  Fight  115 

hunger,  the  men  bethought  themselves  of  trying  the 
river  mussels  :  they  were  fried,  and  covered  with  pep 
per  and  salt,  but  they  could  not  be  eaten. 

I  must  not  omit  an  incident  of  our  voyage  of  some 
what  unusual  interest,  which  was  nothing  more  nor 
less  than  what  may  be  called  a  naval  combat  with  a 
bear.  One  afternoon  bruin  was  espied  crossing  the 
river  from  the  Indiana  to  the  Kentucky  side ;  every 
exertion  was  made,  and  with  success,  to  cut  him  off 
from  the  shore.  We  now  had  him  fairly  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  river.  All  the  guns  we  had  on  board  were 
leveled  at  him ;  but  such  is  the  extraordinary  tenacity 
of  life  in  this  animal,  that,  although  severely  wounded, 
he  not  only  continued  to  swim,  but  now  enraged,  and 
finding  his  retreat  impracticable,  made  directly  for 
the  boat,  champing  his  teeth,  and  his  eyes  red  with 
rage.  Before  the  fire-arms  could  be  reloaded,  he  laid 
his  paw  on  the  side  of  the  boat,  as  if  to  try  the  last 
desperate  experiment  of  boarding  ;  and  if  he  had  suc 
ceeded,  the  probability  is  he  would  have  cleared  the 
decks.  Some  one  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  seize 
an  axe  and  knock  him  in  the  head  ;  after  which,  he 
was  dragged  into  the  boat,  and  proved  to  be  of  enor 
mous  size.  We  encamped  early,  and  fires  were  joy 
fully  kindled  along  the  rocky  shore,  in  anticipation  of 
the  feast :  one  of  the  paws  fell  to  my  share,  and,  being 
roasted  in  the  ashes,  furnished  a  delicious  repast. 

Our  boat  was  very  badly  contrived  to  encounter 
inclement  weather.  At  the  stern-  there  was  a  small 
cabin,  if  such  it  might  be  called,  formed  by  a  canvas 
drawn  over  hoops  something  like  those  of  a  covered 
wagon.  But  the  space  it  covered  was  too  narrow  to 
shelter  more  than  four  or  five  persons.  The  hull  of 
the  boat  was  entirely  filled  with  peltries.  One  night, 


1 1 6  Travellers  [NO.  39 

when  it  rained  incessantly,  so  many  crowded  in  that 
I  was  fairly  crowded  out,  and  lay,  until  daylight,  on 
the  running-board  (a  plank  at  the  edge  of  the  boat, 
on  which  the  men  walk  in  pushing  with  the  pole), 
exposed  to  the  falling  torrents  of  rain,  accompanied 
with  incessant  thunder  and  lightning.  We  little 
know  what  we  can  bear  until  we  try,  although  one 
might  think  this  would  deserve  to  rank  among  the 
experiments  of  Peter  the  Great,  who  attempted  to 
accustom  his  midshipmen  to  drink  salt  water  !  I  did 
not  sleep,  but  drew  myself  as  nearly  into  the  shape  of 
a  ball  as  I  could,  with  no  other  covering  than  a  thin 
capote.  Shortly  after  my  arrival  at  Louisville,  I  was 
sejzec[  wiih  a  f ever  and  ague,  occasioned  either  by  my 
exposures  and  sufferings,  or  by  imprudently  eating 
some  unripe  watermelon,  or  both  together.  It  was 
nearly  a  year  before  I  was  entirely  cured  of  the  ague, 
and  I  felt  the  effects  long  after. 

My  guardian,  having  disposed  of  the  principal  part 
of  his  cargo  at  Louisville,  purchased  a  canoe  or 
peroque,  which  he  loaded  with  some  valuable  furs 
remaining  unsold,  and  employed  a  stripling  from  the 
Monongahela  to  assist  him  in  pushing  with  the  pole. 
Thus  far,  I  have  said  little  of  my  guardian.  The 
reader  must  have  discovered  that  he  was  engaged  in 
trade  between  Pittsburg  and  Upper  Louisiana ;  but 
he  will  hardly  suspect  that  he  was  a  French  gentle 
man  of  education,  and  bred  to  the  bar  in  his  own 
country,  and  of  a  distinguished  family  there.  He 
might  now  be  seen,  pole  in  hand,  pushing  at  the 
stern,  and  his  man  Duncan  at  the  bow,  while  Pill-gar- 
lick  was  deposited  among  the  skins,  half  way  between 
them.  When  the  unfortunate  ague  came  on  I  dis 
turbed  the  equilibrium  of  the  canoe,  or  rather  of  those 


NO.  4o]          A  tf^ise  Old  Mule  117 

standing  up  in  it,  to  the  no  small  displeasure  of  mon 
sieur,  whose  temper  was  none  of  the  sweetest. 

As  the  season  was  advanced,  and  also  rainy,  I  suf 
fered  much  from  constant  exposure.  Duncan  took 
care  of  me  ;  we  slept  together,  and  the  few  blankets 
we  had  were  disposed  in  the  most  judicious  manner. 
One  of  these  was  drawn  over  bent  twigs,  each  end  in 
the  ground ;  another  was  laid  on  leaves,  or  fresh 
boughs,  and  a  third  was  used  for  covering.  In  this 
way,  the  night  was  passed  more  comfortably  than  the 
day ;  although,  on  one  occasion,  we  had  to  shake  off 
the  snow  which  had  fallen  upon  us  somewhat  early 
in  the  season.  Having  a  regular  return  of  the  ague 
every  day,  and  growing  weaker,  my  guardian  con 
sidered  it  most  prudent  to  leave  me  at  the  first 
settlement,  where  I  could  be  safely  deposited  and 
taken  care  of.  Accordingly,  on  our  arrival  at  Galli- 
polis,  I  was  taken  to  a  house  in  the  village  and  left 
there. 


40.    A  Wise   Old   Mule 

BY  EDWIN  BRYANT  (1846) 

ABOUT  midway  upwards,  in  a  canon  of  this  moun 
tain,  I  noticed  the  smoke  of  a  fire,  which  apparently 
had  just  been  kindled  by  the  Indians,  who  were  then 
there,  and  had  discovered  our  party  on  the  white 
plain  below ;  it  was  the  custom  of  these  Indians  to 
make  signals  by  fire  and  smoke,  whenever  they 
notice  strange  objects.  Proceeding  onward,  I  over 
took  an  old  and  favorite  pack-mule,  which  we  famil 
iarly  called  "  Old  Jenny."  She  carried  our  meat  and 
flour  —  all  that  we  possessed  in  fact  —  as  a  suste- 


i  i  8  Travellers  [NO.  40 

nance  of  life.  Her  pack  had  turned,  and  her  burden, 
instead  of  being  on  her  back  was  suspended  under 
neath.  With  that  sagacity  and  discretion  so  char 
acteristic  of  the  Mexican  pack-mule,  as  she  was 
behind  and  followed  the  party  in  advance,  she  had 
stopped  short  in  the  road  until  some  one  should  come 
to  rearrange  her  cargo  and  place  it  on  deck  instead 
of  under  the  keel.  I  dismounted  and  went  through, 
by  myself,  the  rather  tedious  and  laborious  process 
of  unpacking  and  repacking.  This  done,  "  Old 
Jenny  "  set  forward  upon  a  fast  gallop  to  overtake 
her  companions  ahead,  and  my  own  mule,  as  if  not 
to  be  outdone  in  the  race,  followed  in  the  same  gait. 
"  Old  Jenny,"  however,  maintained  the  honors  of  the 
race,  keeping  considerably  ahead.  Both  of  them,  by 
that  instinct  or  faculty  which  mules  undoubtedly 
possess,  had  scented  the  water  on  the  other  side  of 
the  valley,  and  their  pangs  of  extreme  thirst  urged 
them  forward  at  this  extraordinary  speed,  after  the 
long  and  laborious  march  they  had  made. 

As  I  advanced  over  the  plain  the  spreading  of  the 
fires  in  the  canon  of  the  mountain  appeared  with 
great  distinctness.  The  line  of  lights  was  regular 
like  camp-fires,  and  I  was  more  than  half  inclined 
to  hope  that  we  should  meet  and  be  welcomed  by  an 
encampment  of  civilized  men  —  either  hunters,  or  a 
party  from  the  Pacific  bound  homeward.  The  moon 
shone  out  about  nine  o'clock,  displaying  and  illumi 
nating  the  unnatural,  unearthly  dreariness  of  the 
scenery. 

"  Old  Jenny  "  for  some  time  had  so  far  beat  me  in 
the  race  as  to  be  out  of  my  sight,  and  I  out  of  the 
sound  of  her  footsteps.  I  was  entirely  alone,  and 
enjoying,  as  well  as  a  man  could  with  a  crust  of  salt 


NO.  4o]  A  tt^ise  Old  Mule  1 1  g 

in  his  nostrils  and  over  his  lips,  and  a  husky  mouth 
and  throat,  the  singularity  of  my  situation,  when  I 
observed,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  advance  of  me, 
a  dark,  stationary  object  standing  in  the  midst  of  the 
hoary  scenery.  I  supposed  it  to  be  "  Old  Jenny  "  in 
trouble  once  more  about  her  pack.  But  coming  up 
to  a  speaking  distance,  I  was  challenged  in  a  loud 
voice  with  the  usual  guard-salutation,  "Who  comes 
there  ?  "  Having  no  countersign,  I  gave  the  common 
response  in  such  cases,  "  A  friend."  This  appeared 
to  be  satisfactory,  for  I  heard  no  report  of  pistol  or 
rifle,  and  no  arrow  took  its  soundless  flight  through 
my  body.  I  rode  up  to  the  object  and  discovered  it 
to  be  Buchanan  sitting  upon  his  mule,  which  had 
become  so  much  exhausted  that  it  occasionally  re 
fused  to  go  along.  He  said  that  he  had  supposed 
himself  to  be  the  "  last  man,"  before  "  Old  Jenny  " 
passed,  who  had  given  him  a  surprise,  and  he  was 
quite  thunderstruck  when  an  animal,  mounted  by  a 
man,  came  charging  upon  him  in  his  half-crippled 
condition.  After  a  good  laugh  and  some  little  delay 
and  difficulty,  we  got  his  mule  under  way  again,  and 
rode  slowly  along  together. 

We  left,  what  seemed  to  us,  in  our  tired  condition, 
the  interminable  plain  of  salt,  and  entered  upon  the 
sagey  slope  of  the  mountain  about  ten  o'clock.  Hal 
looing  as  loudly  as  we  could  raise  our  voices,  we  ob 
tained,  by  a  response,  the  direction  of  our  party  who 
had  preceded  us,  and  after  some  difficulty  in  making 
our  way  through  the  sage,  grass,  and  willows,  (the  last 
a  certain  indication  of  water  in  the  desert,)  we  came 
to  where  they  had  discovered  a  faint  stream  of  water, 
and  made  their  camp.  Men  and  mules,  on  their  first 
arrival,  as  we  learned,  had  madly  rushed  into  the 


i  2  o  Travellers  [NO.  40 

stream  and  drank  together  of  its  muddy  waters,  — 
made  muddy  by  their  own  disturbance  of  its  shallow 
channel  and  sluggish  current. 

Delay  of  gratification  frequently  gives  a  temporary 
relief  to  the  cravings  of  hunger.  The  same  remark 
is  applicable  to  thirst.  Some  hours  previously  I  had 
felt  the  pangs  of  thirst  with  an  acuteness  almost 
amounting  to  an  agony.  Now,  when  I  had  reached 
the  spot  where  I  could  gratify  my  desires  in  this 
respect,  they  were  greatly  diminished.  My  first  care 
was  to  unsaddle  my  mule  and  to  lead  it  to  the  stream, 
and  my  next  to  take  a  survey  of  the  position  of  our 
encampment.  I  then  procured  a  cup  of  muddy 
water,  and  drank  it  off  with  a  good  relish.  The  fires 
before  noticed  were  still  blazing  brightly  above  us  on 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  but  those  who  had  lighted 
them,  had  given  no  other  signal  of  their  proximity. 
The  moon  shone  brilliantly,  and  Jacob,  Buchanan, 
McClary,  and  myself,  concluded  we  would  trace  the 
small  stream  of  water  until  we  could  find  the  foun 
tain  spring.  After  considerable  search  among  the 
reeds,  willow,  and  luxuriant  grass,  we  discovered  a 
spring.  Buchanan  was  so  eager  to  obtain  a  draught 
of  cold,  pure  water,  that  in  dipping  his  cup  for  this 
purpose,  the  yielding  weeds  under  him  gave  way,  and 
he  sank  into  the  basin,  from  which  he  was  drawn 
out  after  a  good  ducking,  by  one  of  those  present. 
The  next  morning  this  basin  was  sounded  to  the 
depth  of  thirty-five  feet,  and  no  bottom  found.  We 
named  this  spring  "  Buchanan's  well." 

We  lighted  no  fires  to-night,  and  prepared  no 
evening  meal.  Worn  down  by  the  hard  day's  travel, 
after  relieving  our  thirst  we  spread  our  blankets  upon 
the  ground,  and  laying  our  bodies  upon  them,  slept 


NO.  4i]  A  Bull  Fight  121 

soundly  in  the  bright  moonshine.  Several  of  our 
party  had  been  on  the  road  upwards  of  seventeen 
hours,  without  water  or  refreshment  of  any  kind, 
except  a  small  draught  of  cold  coffee  from  our 
powder-keg,  made  of  the  salt  sulphur-water  at  our 
last  encampment,  and  had  travelled  the  distance  of 
seventy-five  miles.  The  Salt  Plain  has  never  at  this 
place,  so  far  as  I  could  understand,  been  crossed  but 
twice  previously  by  civilized  men,  and  in  these  in 
stances  two  days  were  occupied  in  performing  the 
journey  of  seventy-five  miles. 


41.    A    Mimic   Bull    Fight 

BY  WILLIAM  BULLOCK  (1825) 

THE  next  thing  was  dancing  to  a  guitar,  strummed 
by  a  pretty  little  girl  about  twelve  years  old,  and 
some  of  the  ladies  accompanied  with  their  voices  the 
movements  of  their  feet.  Whilst  this  amusement 
was  going  on,  a  fine  young  bull  was  brought  and  tied 
by  a  long  cord  to  the  stump  of  a  tree :  the  beautiful 
little  animal  seemed  for  a  while  to  enjoy  the  noisy 
sport  as  much  as  any  of  the  company,  till  he  had 
received  several  very  marked  insults,  when  he  lost  his 
temper,  and  with  considerable  violence  ran  at  an  Ind 
ian,  against  whom  he  had  already  shown  marks  of 
hostility.  Several  persons  now  joined  in  the  attempt 
to  work  him  up  to  the  highest  point  of  irritation ;  the 
young  men  advanced  in  front  of  him,  with  only  a 
pocket  handkerchief,  and  when  they  had  provoked 
him  to  attack  them,  would  merely  step  aside,  and 
leave  the  handkerchief  covering  his  face.  The  con- 


122  Travellers  [NO.  42 

test  had  continued  without  any  one  being  endangered, 
till  in  a  furious  charge  at  his  Indian  friend,  the  bull 
broke  the  rope ;  but  the  sable  adversary  very  dexter 
ously  turned  short  and  seized  him  by  the  tail,  and 
contrived  so  to  hold  him,  till  another  rope  was  passed 
round  his  body,  and  he  was  again  secured.  A  soldier 
next  leaped  on  his  back,  but  after  a  few  efforts,  the 
animal  threw  him  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  he 
fell  with  violence.  It  now  became  quite  furious, 
when  an  Indian  sprang  upon  its  back,  clasping  its 
sides  with  his  legs,  and  resisting  every  effort  of  the 
bellowing  brute  to  dislodge  him ;  and  then  finally 
galloped  off  into  a  wood. 

It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  witnessed  any  thing 
like  a  bull-fight,  even  of  this  mimic  kind ;  and  as  the 
parties  did  not  seem  to  apprehend  any  peril,  the 
laughter,  in  which  the  ladies  had  no  inconsiderable 
share,  was  occasionally  very  boisterous  and  long 
continued. 


42.    A   Storm   on   Lake   Erie 

BY  ISAAC  WELD  (1795) 

AT  daybreak  we  found  ourselves  entirely  clear  of 
the  land  ;  but  instead  of  the  azure  sky  and  gentle 
breezes  which  had  favored  us  the  preceding  day, 
we  had  thick  hazy  weather,  and  every  appearance"  in 
the  heavens  indicated  that  before  many  hours  were 
over  we  should  have  to  contend  with  some  of  the 
dangerous  storms  so  frequent  on  Lake  Erie.  It  was 
not  long  before  the  winds  began  to  blow,  and  the 
waves  to  rise  in  a  tremendous  manner.  A  number  of 
old  French  ladies,  who  were  going  to  see  their  grand- 


NO.  42]        Storm   on    Lake  Erie        123 

children  in  Lower  Canada,  and  who  now  for  the  first 
time  in  their  lives  found  themselves  on  the  water, 
occupied  the  cabin.  The  hold  of  the  vessel,  boarded 
from  end  to  end,  and  divided  simply  by  a  sail  sus 
pended  from  one  of  the  beams,  was  rilled  on  one  side 
with  steerage  passengers,  amongst  which  were  several 
women  and  children ;  and  on  the  opposite  side  with 
passengers  who  had  paid  cabin  price,  but  were  unable 


AN  OLD   FORT. 

to  get  any  better  accommodation,  amongst  which  num 
ber  was  our  party.  Not  including  either  the  old  ladies 
in  the  cabin,  or  the  steerage  passengers,  we  sat  down 
to  dinner  each  day  twenty-six  in  number.  The 
greater  part  of  the  passengers,  drooping  under  sea 
sickness,  begged  for  heaven's  sake  that  the  captain 
would  put  back ;  but  bent  upon  performing  his  voy 
age  with  expedition,  he  was  deaf  to  their  entreaties. 
What  the  earnest  entreaties,  however,  of  the  pas 
sengers  could  not  effect,  the  storm  soon  compelled. 


124  Travellers  [NO.  42 

It  was  found  absolutely  necessary  to  seek  for  a  place 
of  shelter  to  avoid  its  fury  ;  and  accordingly  the  helm 
was  ordered  up,  and  we  made  the  best  of  our  way 
back  again  to  the  islands  in  a  bay,  between  two  of 
which  we  cast  anchor.  Here  we  lay  securely 
sheltered  by  the  land  until  the  next  morning,  when 
the  watch  upon  deck  gave  the  alarm  that  the  vessel 
was  driving  from  her  anchor  and  going  fast  towards 
the  shore. 

The  dawn  of  day  only  enabled  us  to  see  all  the  danger 
of  our  situation.  We  were  within  one  hundred  yards 
of  a  rocky  lee  shore,  and  depended  upon  one  anchor, 
Which,  if  the  gale  increased,  the  captain  feared  very 
much  would  not  hold.  The  day  was  wet  and  squally 
and  the  appearance  of  the  sky  gave  us  every  reason 
to  imagine  that  the  weather,  instead  of  growing 
moderate,  would  become  still  more  tempestuous  than  it 
either  was  or  had  been ;  nevertheless,  buoyed  up  by 
hope,  and  by  a  good  share  of  animal  spirits,  we  ate 
our  breakfasts  regardless  of  the  impending  danger, 
and  afterwards  sat  down  to  a.  game  of  cards.  Scarcely 
had  we  played  for  one  hour  when  the  dismal  cry  was 
heard  of,  "  All  hands  aloft,"  as  the  vessel  was  again 
drifting  towards  the  shore. 

As  the  day  was  very  cold,  I  threw  a  blanket  over 
my  shoulders,  and  fastened  it  round  my  waist  with  a 
girdle,  in  the  Indian  fashion,,  but  I  was  incapable  of 
managing  it  like  an  Indian,  and  stopped  to  disen 
cumber  myself  of  it  before  I  went  on  deck,  so  that,  as 
it  happened,  I  was  the  last  man  below.  The  readiest 
way  of  going  up  was  through  the  hatchway,  and  I 
had  just  got  my  foot  upon  the  ladder,  in  order  to 
ascend,  when  the  vessel  struck  with  great  force  upon 
the  rocks.  Before  two  minutes  had  passed  over,  the 


NO.  42]        Storm   on    Lake  Erie        125 

vessel  struck  a  second  time,  but  with  a  still  greater 
shock ;  and  at  the  end  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  during 
which  period  she  had  gradually  approached  nearer 
towards  the  shore,  she  began  to  strike  with  the  fall 
of  every  wave.  As  the  storm  increased,  the  waves 
began  to  roll  with  greater  turbulence  than  before; 
and  with  such  impetuosity  did  they  break  over  the 
bows  of  the  vessel,  that  it  was  with  the  very  utmost 
difficulty  that  I,  and  half  a  dozen  more  who  had 
taken  our  station  on  the  forecastle,  could  hold  by  our 
hands  fast  enough  to  save  ourselves  from  being  carried 
overboard. 

For  upwards  of  four  hours  did  we  remain  in  this 
situation,  expecting  every  instant  that  the  vessel 
would  go  to  pieces,  and  exposed  every  three  or  four 
minutes  to  the  shock  of  one  of  the  tremendous 
breakers  which  came  rolling  towards  us.  At  last,  we 
were  so  benumbed  with  cold  that  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  us  to  make  any  exertions  in  the  water 
to  save  ourselves  if  the  vessel  was  wrecked  ;  so  we 
determined  to  go  below,  there  to  remain  until  we 
should  be  again  forced  up  by  the  waves. 

Some  of  the  passengers  now  began  to  write  their 
wills  on  scraps  of  paper,  and  to  inclose  them  in  what 
they  imagined  would  be  most  likely  to  preserve  them 
from  the  water ;  others  had  begun  to  take  from  their 
trunks  what  they  deemed  most  valuable ;  and  one 
unfortunate  thoughtless  man,  who  was  moving  with 
his  family  from  the  upper  country,  we  discovered  in 
the  very  act  of  loading  himself  with  dollars  from 
head  to  foot,  so  that  had  he  fallen  into  the  water  in 
the  state  we  found  him  he  must  inevitably  have 
been  carried  to  the  bottom. 

Words   can   convey   no   idea  of  the  wildness  that 


126  Travellers  [NO.  43 

reigned  in  the  countenance  of  almost  every  person  as 
the  night  approached. 

Till  nine  o'clock  at  night  the  vessel  kept  striking 
every  minute,  during  which  time  we  were  kept  in  a 
state  of  the  most  dreadful  suspense  about  our  fate  ; 
but  then  happily  the  wind  shifted  one  or  two  points 
in  our  favour,  which  occasioned  the  vessel  to  roll  in 
stead  of  striking.  At  midnight  the  gale  grew  some 
what  more  moderate ;  and  at  three  in  the  morning 
it  was  so  far  abated,  that  the  men  were  able  to  haul 
in  the  anchor,  and  in  a  short  time  to  bring  the 
vessel  once  more  into  deep  water,  and  out  of  all  dan 
ger.  Great  was  the  joy,  as  well  may  be  imagined, 
which  this  circumstance  diffused  amongst  the  pas 
sengers  ;  and  well  pleased  was  each  one,  after  the 
fatigue  and  anxiety  of  the  preceding  day,  to  think 
he  might  securely  lay  himself  down  to  rest. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  arose  in  all  his  majesty 
from  behind  one  of  the  most  distant  islands.  The 
azure  sky  was  unobscured  by  a  single  cloud,  the  air 
felt  serenely  mild,  and  the  birds,  as  if  equally  delighted 
with  man  that  the  storm  was  over,  sweetly  warbled 
forth  their  songs  in  the  adjacent  woods;  in  short, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  disordered  condition  in  which 
we  saw  our  vessel,  and  every  thing  belonging  to  us, 
the  perils  we  had  gone  through  would  have  appeared 
like  a  dream. 


43.    In   a    Cave 

BY  JOHN   ASHE  (1806) 

I  HAD  descended  but   twenty-two  miles    from  the 
Wabash    when   I  came   to    on  the   Indiana  shore  to 


NO.  43]  In  a  Cave  127 

examine  a  very  grand  and  interesting  natural  curi 
osity.  It  is  a  cave  in  a  rock  which  presents  itself  to 
view  a  little  above  the  water  when  high,  close  to  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  darkened  by  the  shade  of  some 
Catalpa  trees  standing  before  the  entrance.  On  each 
side  the  gently  ascending  copses  of  wood,  and  the 
extensive  view  of  the  water,  profound,  wide  and  trans 
parent,  tend  to  render  the  cave  an  object  truly  delight 
ful  and  worthy  of  the  most  minute  attention.  I 
resolved  to  explore  it,  though  it  bore  the  reputation 
of  being  the  residence  of  a  band  of  robbers  who  for 
many  years  have  infested  the  river.  But  I  find  the 
cavern  at  first  became  an  object  of  terror  and  aston 
ishment  from  having  been  the  retreat  of  the  remains 
of  an  Indian  nation  who  were  exasperated  against 
the  Americans,  and  resolved  to  put  as  many  of  them 
as  possible  to  death,  to  revenge  the  injuries  and  in 
sults  they  and  their  friends  had  experienced. 

It  was  a  party  of  the  Illinois  who  adopted  this  fatal 
resolution,  and  who  carried  it  on  for  several  years 
with  the  most  bloody  effect,  till  a  large  party  of  Ken- 
tuckians  resolved  to  attack  and  exterminate  them. 
With  this  intent  fifty  well  armed  men  descended  to 
the  cave  and  attacked  the  Illinois  who  were  double 
that  number.  Several  fell  on  both  sides,  and  the  vic 
tory  was  doubtful  till  the  Illinois  rushed  upon  the 
enemy  with  lifted  tomahawks  and  horrid  cries,  and 
drove  them  to  the  cave  which  they  entered,  and  made 
a  long  and  terrible  resistance.  In  an  instant  the  Illi 
nois  changed  their  mode :  they  cast  up  a  heap  of  dry 
wood,  reeds  and  cane,  immediately  before  the  en 
trance  which  they  undoubtedly  guarded,  and  set  fire 
to  the  piles ;  this  suffocated  all  those  who  had  not 
resolution  to  rush  through  the  flame  and  brave  death 


128  Travellers  [NO.  43 

in  another  effort  with  their  successful  enemy.  Some 
had  vigour  to  make  this  desperate  attempt.  It  was 
fruitless.  The  life  of  one  man  alone  was  spared. 
The  rest  perished  by  the  fire,  or  fell  under  the 
hatchet.  The  man,  whose  life  was  given  him,  was 
sent  back  to  the  Government  of  Kentucky  with  this 
message  :  "Tell  your  wise  men,  that  the  Illinois  have 
glutted  their  vengeance,  and  that  their  spirit  is  satis 
fied  and  appeased.  On  the  borders  of  the  lake  we 
will  bury  the  hatchet.  Woe  to  those  who  make  us 
take  it  from  the  ground."  Soon  after  this  act  they 
departed,  and  reside  to  this  time  on  the  spot  they 
mentioned  for  their  intended  retreat. 

About  three  years  after  this  distinguished  act  of 
national  and  Indian  vengeance,  the  cave  was  seized 
by  a  party  of  Kentuckians,  called  "  Wilson's  Gang." 
Wilson,  in  the  first  instance,  brought  his  family  to  the 
cave,  fitted  it  up  as  a  spacious  dwelling,  and  erected 
a  sign  post  on  the  water  side,  on  which  were  these 
words:  "Wilson's  house  for  entertainment."  The 
novelty  of  such  a  tavern  induced  almost  all  boats 
descending  the  river  to  call  and  stop  for  refreshment 
and  amusement.  Attracted  by  these  circumstances, 
several  idle  characters  took  up  their  abode  at  the 
cave.  Out  of  such  customers  as  these  Wilson  found 
no  difficulty  in  forming  a  band  of  robbers,  with  whom 
he  formed  the  plan  of  murdering  the  crews  of  every 
boat  that  stopped  at  his  tavern,  and  send  the  boats, 
manned  by  some  of  his  party,  to  New  Orleans,  and 
there  sell  their  lading  for  cash,  which  was  to  be  con 
veyed  to  the  cave  by  land  through  the  states  of  Ten 
nessee  and  Kentucky ;  the  party  who  returned  with 
it  were  instructed  to  murder  and  rob,  on  all  good 
occasions,  presented  by  the  road.  After  a  lapse  of 


No.  43] 


In  a  Cave 


i  29 


some  time,  the  merchants  of  the  upper  country  began 
to  be  alarmed,  when  they  found  that  their  property 
made  no  return,  and  their  people  never  came  back. 
Several  families  and  respectable  men  who  had  gone 
down  the  river  were  never  more  heard  of,  and  the  losses 
became  so  frequent  that  it  raised  at  length  a  cry  of 
individual  and  general  distress.  This  naturally  led 
to  inquiry,  and  large  rewards  were  offered  for  the 
discovery  of  the  perpetrators  of  such  unparalleled 
crimes. 


THE   CONESTOGA   WAGON. 

It  soon  came  out  that  Wilson,  with  an  organized 
party  of  forty-five  men,  was  the  cause  of  such  waste 
of  blood  and  treasure.  The  publicity  of  Wilson's 
transactions  soon  broke  up  his  party  ;  some  dispersed, 
others  were  taken  prisoners,  and  he  himself  was 
killed  by  one  of  his  associates,  who  was  tempted  by 
the  original  reward  offered  for  the  head  of  the  cap 
tain  of  the  gang. 

I  ordered  light  and  arms,  and  entered  the  cave,  and 
found  it  to  measure  two  hundred  feet  long,  and  forty 


130  Travellers  [NO.  43 

feet  high :  the  entrance  formed  a  semicircular  arch 
of  ninety  feet  at  its  base,  and  forty-five  in  its  perpen 
dicular.  The  interior  walls  are  smooth  rock  stained 
by  fire  and  marked  with  names  of  persons  and  dates 
and  other  remarks,  etched  by  former  inhabitants  and 
by  nearly  every  visitor.  The  floor  is  very  remark 
able  ;  it  is  level  through  the  whole  length  of  its 
centre,  and  rises  to  the  sides  in  stone  grades,  in  the 
manner  of  seats  in  the  pit  of  a  theatre.  On  a  dili 
gent  scrutiny  of  the  walls,  I  could  plainly  discern 
that  the  Indians,  at  a  very  remote  period,  made  use 
of  the  cave  as  a  house  of  deliberation  and  council. 
The  walls  bear  many  hieroglyphics,  well  executed  in 
the  Indian  manner :  and  some  of  them  represented 
animals  which  bear  no  resemblance  to  any  I  have 
ever  heard  of  or  seen. 

While  occupied  in  this  research,  I  discovered  an 
opening  in  the  roof  of  the  cave,  which  appeared  to 
work  up  a  funnel  to  the  surface  of  the  earth.  It  was 
as  large  as  an  ordinary  chimney,  and  placed  directly 
in  the  centre  of  the  roof.  The  access  was  very  diffi 
cult,  and  yet  an  increase  of  curiosity  determined  me 
to  find  out  whither  the  passage  led.  In  consequence 
I  ordered  a  long  hickory  tree  to  be  cut  down,  to  be 
notched  for  the  feet,  and  reared  up  against  the  mouth 
of  the  opening.  My  men  seemed  to  think  the  pas 
sage  might  lead  to  the  lurking  place  of  a  bandit. 
They  were  much  alarmed  and  used  every  persuasion 
to  turn  me  from  my  design.  •  It  was  to  no  purpose. 
With  a  dirk  at  my  breast,  and  a  pair  of  pistols  in  my 
girdle,  I  mounted  by  means  of  the  tree,  and  received 
a  light  from  my  servant,  who  insisted  on  following 
me,  while  Cuff  remained  as  a  sentinel  below,  ready 
to  fire  a  signal  on  any  person's  approach. 


NO.  43]  In  a  Cave  131 

With  much  difficulty  I  strained  through  the  aper 
ture,  which  appeared  to  form  a  perpendicular  pas 
sage  of  fourteen  feet ;  and  to  my  great  astonishment 
arrived  in  an  apartment  of  greater  magnitude  than 
that  from  which  I  had  ascended,  and  of  more  splen 
dor,  magnificence  and  variety.  As  I  advanced,  by 
the  assistance  of  the  lights,  I  began  to  discover  the 
outlines  of  a  large  vault  of  great  height  and  extent. 
The  roof,  which  was  arched,  the  sides  and  natural 
pillars  that  supported  it,  seemed  at  first  sight  to 
be  cut  out  and  wrought  into  figures  and  ornaments, 
not  unlike  those  of  a  gothic  cathedral.  These  were 
formed  by  a  thousand  droppings  of  the  coldest  and 
most  petrifying  water.  At  the  farther  end  of  this 
large  vault  was  an  opening,  which  served  as  a  descent 
to  another  vault  of  very  great  depth,  as  I  judged 
from  a  stone  cast  in,  whose  reverberation  was  not 
returned  for  the  space  of  several  seconds. 

About  half  an  hour  later  I  fired  a  pistol  off,  which 
I  knew  would  bring  my  faithful  Mandanean,  but  I 
did  not  know  that  its  effect  would  be  terrific  and  its 
report  tremendous.  No  thunder  could  exceed  the 
explosion,  no  echo  return  so  strong  a  voice.  My  man 
fell  as  if  insensible  at  my  feet,  and  I  staggered  sev 
eral  paces  before  I  could  recover  my  equilibrium. 
The  light  extinguished ;  the  echo  of  the  shot  again 
rebounded,  and  all  the  demons  of  the  place  awoke  at 
once  to  appal  and  confound  me.  Owls  screamed  in 
their  retreats,  bats  fluttered  through  the  air,  and  a 
direful  contention  of  sounds  and  cries  vied  with  each 
other  to  scare  the  heart  and  fill  the  soul  with  horror 
and  dismay.  Before  the  tumult  ceased,  I  discovered 
beams  of  light  issuing  from  the  lower  cave,  and  in 
a  moment  after  appeared  my  trusty  Indian  rising 


132  Travellers  [NO.  44 

through  the  opening  with  a  torch  in  one  hand  and  a 
sabre  in  the  other,  and  exclaiming,  "  My  chief,  my 
chief,  have  a  strong  heart."  We  found  here  abun 
dance  of  shells  of  the  mussel  kind.  They  were  all 
open  and  lay  scattered  on  the  floor  and  shelving  sides 
of  the  cave,  in  a  manner  that  fully  convinced  me  they 
were  there  originally  inhabited  by  fish,  at  a  period 
when  the  place  in  which  I  found  them  was  a  sub 
marine  vault. 


44.    What  became  of  the   Buffaloes 

BY  JOHN  ASHE  (1806) 

AN  old  man,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  country, 
built  his  log-house  on  the  immediate  borders  of  a  salt 
spring.  He  informed  me  that  for  the  first  several 
seasons,  the  buffaloes  paid  him  their  visits  with  the 
utmost  regularity.  They  travelled  in  single  files, 
always  following  each  other  at  equal  distances,  and 
formed  droves  on  their  arrival,  of  about  three  hun 
dred  each.  The  first  and  second  years,  so  un 
acquainted  were  these  poor  brutes  with  the  use  of 
this  man's  house  or  with  his  nature,  that  in  a  few 
hours  they  rubbed  the  house  completely  down ;  taking 
delight  in  turning  the  logs  off  with  their  horns,  while 
he  had  some  difficulty  to  escape  from  being  trampled 
under  their  feet,  or  crushed  to  death  in  his  own  ruins. 
At  that  period  he  supposed  there  could  not  have  been 
less  than  ten  thousand  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
spring.  They  sought  for  no  manner  of  food ;  but 
only  bathed  and  drank  three  or  four  times  a  day,  and 
rolled  in  the  earth,  or  lay  in  the  adjacent  shades; 
and  on  the  fifth  and  sixth  days  separated  into  dis- 


NO.  44]  The   Buffaloes  133 

tinct  droves,  bathed,  drank  and  departed  in  single 
files,  according  to  the  exact  order  of  their  arrival. 
They  all  rolled  successively  in  the  same  hole ;  and 
each  thus  carried  away  a  coat  of  mud,  to  preserve 
the  moisture  on  their  skin ;  when  hardened  and 
baked  by  the  sun,  this  layer  would  resist  the  stings 
of  millions  of  insects  that  otherwise  would  persecute 
these  peaceful  travellers  to  madness  or  death. 

In  the  first  and  second  years  this  old  man  with 
some  companions  killed  from  six  to  seven  hundred 
of  these  noble  creatures,  merely  for  the  sake  of  the 
skins,  which  were  worth  only  two  shillings  each ; 
and  after  this  work  of  death,  they  were  obliged  to 
leave  the  place  till  the  following  season.  In  the 
two  following  years,  the  same  persons  killed  great 
numbers  out  of  the  first  droves  that  arrived ;  but 
they  soon  had  reason  to  repent  of  this,  for  the  re 
maining  droves,  as  they  came  up  in  succession, 
stopped,  moaned  or  lowed  aloud,  and  returned  in 
stantly  to  the  wilderness  in  an  unusual  run,  without 
tasting  their  favourite  spring,  or  licking  the  salt  earth, 
which  was  also  once  their  most  agreeable  occupation; 
nor  did  they,  or  any  of  their  race,  ever  revisit  the 
neighbourhood. 

The  simple  history  of  this  spring  is  that  of  every  The  same 
other  in  the  settled  part  of  this  western  world;  the   Destruction 

has  gone  on 

carnage  or  beasts  was  everywhere  the  same.     1  met  since  1870 
with  a  man  who  had  killed  two  thousand  buffaloes   in  the  west~ 
with  his  own  hand ;  and  others,  no  doubt,  have  done 
the  same.     In  consequence  of  such  proceedings,  not 
one  buffalo  is  at  this  time  to  be  found  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  except  a  few   domesticated  by  the  curi 
ous,  or  carried  through  the  country  as  a  public  show. 
The  first  settlers,  not  content  with   this   sanguinary 


134  Travellers  [NO.  45 

extermination  of  the  animal,  also  destroyed  the  food 
to  which  it  was  most  partial;  which  was  cane,  grow 
ing  in  forests  and  brakes  of  immeasurable  extent. 
To  this  the  unsparing  wretches  set  fire  in  dry  seasons, 
in  order  to  drive  out  every  living  creature,  and  then 
hunt  and  persecute  them  to  death. 

Deer,  which  also  abounded  in  this  country,  have 
nearly  shared  the  same  fate  as  the  buffalo ;  and  they, 
too,  would  be  entirely  annihilated,  if  they  were  not 
capable  of  subsisting  in  places  almost  inaccessible  to 
man.  The  small  number  that  remain,  frequent  the 
mountains  ;  their  desire  for  the  water  of  the  saline 
springs,  however,  occasionally  brings  them  into  the 
plains,  where  they  do  not  want  for  enemies,  for  there 
is  no  settler  who  would  not  abandon  the  most  impor 
tant  business,  in  order  to  pursue  this  species  of  game. 

The  salt  lake  and  springs  are  also  frequented  by 
other  kinds  of  beasts,  and  by  birds :  and  from  the 
most  minute  inquiries,  I  am  justified  in  asserting  that 
their  visitations  were  periodical ;  except  doves,  which 
appear  to  delight  in  the  neighbourhood  of  salt  springs, 
and  to  make  them  their  constant  abode.  In  such 
situations  they  are  seen  in  immense  numbers,  as 
tame  as  domestic  pigeons,  but  rendered  more  interest 
ing  by  their  solitary  notes  and  plaintive  melody. 


45.    A    Deer    Hunt   in    Florida 

BY  GEORGE  MC€ALL  (1822) 

PENSACOLA,  December  i,  1822. 
MY  DEAR  HARRY:  — 

I  am  mounted  at  last  —  and  splendidly.     I  found 
here  a  short  time  ago  a  blooded  mare  from  Virginia ; 


NO.  45]  A  Deer   Hunt  135 

she  was  brought  hither  through  Tennessee  and  Ala 
bama  by  a  Mr.  Anderson,  a  gentleman  who  came  to 
look  at  Florida  lands  and  live-oak  timber.  Kate,  as 
I  have  christened  her,  is  a  dark  bay,  almost  a  brown, 
with  the  most  beautiful  head,  saucily  set  upon  a  fine 
neck,  which  springs  proudly  from  a  deep  and  well 
thrown-back  shoulder ;  a  short  back,  fiddle  hips,  and 
a  clean  set  of  limbs  finish  the  portrait.  She  has  a 
fair  share  of  woman's  wilfulness ;  but  that  is  amply 
illuminated  or  adorned  by  a  light  pair  of  heels  and 
great  powers  of  endurance.  I  have  ridden  her  after 
the  hounds  several  times.  A  party  was  made  up  this 
week.  The  day  appointed  for  the  hunt  was  an  un 
common  one  for  the  time  of  year,  though  not  the 
less  welcome  than  unexpected. 

We  mustered  eight  dogs  and  moved  on  through 
the  woods,  where  the  long-leaved  pine,  sparsely 
distributed,  towers  up  among  the  red  and  the  white 
palmetto.  At  length  we  came  upon  the  hunting- 
ground,  and  Jupiter  was  ordered  with  the  pack  to 
drive  a  branch  or  arm  of  the  bayou  that  shot  out 
from  the  main  body  of  the  hummock.  He  had  not 
advanced  far  before  a  single  note,  low,  deep-toned, 
and  prolonged,  brought  glad  tidings  and  true  to  the 
ears  of  his  master. 

"Hark  to  him!"  cried  the  Captain.  "  Listen  to 
old  Enoch ;  that  was  his  voice,  and  it  is  a  voice  that 
never  deceives.  He  has  struck  a  cold  trail  and 
carefully  and  truly  will  the  old  fellow  follow  it. 
Hark  again !  another  note  ;  he  will  soon  track  the 
deer  to  his  lair,  and  rouse  him  from  his  noon-day 
repose.  We  must  separate,  and  be  ready  for  him 
when  the  dogs  force  him  from  cover." 

Old  Enoch  continued  his  course  slowly  and  accu- 


136 


T ravel  I e 


rs 


[No.  45 


rately,  from  time  to  time  giving  notice  of  his  prog 
ress  ;  when  all  at  once  the  whole  pack,  bursting  into 
full  cry,  proclaimed  that  the  deer  was  up.  Each 
horseman  concealed  himself  and  horse  as  much  as 
possible  behind  a  tree  or  bush,  and  waited  in  silence 
and  anxious  expectancy  for  the  moment  when  the 
deer,  on  being  closely  pressed,  should  leave  the 
hummock.  In  a  few  minutes,  however,  Bell,  having 
listened  attentively  to  the  cry,  put  spurs  to  his  mare, 

dashed  down  the 
branch  to  its  junc 
tion  with  the  bayou, 
threw  the  reins  on 
his  mare's  neck,  and 
sat  loosely  in  the 
saddle,  prepared  to 
deliver  his  fire  at 
the  first  bound  of  the 
deer  from  cover.  His 
judgment  proved  to 
be  correct :  the  bois 
terous  cry  of  the 
pack  passed,  succes 
sively,  each  of  the  disappointed  hunters  stationed 
above;  but  as  the  deer  approached  the  junction,  he 
caught  the  wind  of  his  enemy,  and  declined  to  leave 
the  cover ;  and  the  cry  of  the  pack  soon  proved  that 
he  had  directed  his  flight  up  the  main  bayou.  As 
Bell  rode  back,  he  called  out, 

"  This  fellow  is  disposed  to  breathe  our  horses. 
We  are  entered  for  a  good  mile  race  by  this  manoeuvre. 
The  stand  is  the  first  cove  above  this  branch  ;  if  we  let 
him  pass  that,  he  is  safe  for  the  day.  Come  on."  An 
animated  whoop  started  us  at  full  speed,  and  in  another 


AN    EARLY    LOCOMOTIVE. 


NO.  45]  A  Deer   Hunt  137 

moment  we  were  sweeping  through  the  rattling  pal 
mettos  with  the  sound  of  a  hurricane.  Stands  were 
taken  as  the  judgment  of  the  individual  dictated,  and 
scarcely  were  we  disposed  of,  ere  the  chase  came 
thundering  on.  Again  we  were  disappointed ;  the 
deer,  having  approached  to  the  very  edge  of  the  hum 
mock,  again  caught  the  wind  of  his  pursuers,  and 
doubling  back,  returned  in  the  same  trail  he  had 
advanced  upon. 

The  pack  came  dashing  out  above  almost  as  the 
buck  went  in  again  to  the  hummock  below :  they 
circled  round  where  the  deer  had  doubled,  and  with 
out  for  a  moment  faltering  followed  him  back  again. 
The  cry  of  the  pack  soon  told  that  the  buck  as  he 
regained  the  cover  had  dashed  through  to  the  banks 
of  the  bayou,  where  plunging  in  he  swam  the  stream 
and  hied  him  off  to  the  northward. 

A  few  hundred  yards  farther  brought  us  through 
the  thicket,  and  we  at  once  came  upon  a  large 
savannah.  When  we  entered  upon  the  opening, 
Bell  cast  his  eye  down  the  bayou  and  discovered  the 
buck  coming  up  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  savannah, 
steadily  pursued  by  the  dogs,  (though  at  some  dis 
tance,)  whence  they  sent  forward  the  intelligence  of 
their  coming  in  deep-toned  and  eager  cries.  The 
poor  buck,  nearly  exhausted  with  the  long  and  unin 
terrupted  run,  was  laboring  under  the  weight  of  his 
branching  antlers  ;  his  parched  tongue  lolled  from  his 
husky  throat. 

The  Captain,  at  a  glance,  perceived  his  condition, 
and  called  out  to  me,  "  We  can  take  him  as  he  passes 
the  head  of  the  pond." 

Again  putting  spurs  to  our  horses,  we  gained  the 
head  of  the  savannah  in  advance  of  him.  On  reach- 


138  Travellers  [NO.  46 

ing  the  savannah,  the  buck  had  been  compelled  to 
leave  the  wind,  the  only  medium  through  which  he 
receives  warning  of  danger  in  front ;  for  when  hotly 
pursued,  his  eyesight  soon  fails  him,  and  his  ears  are 
filled  with  the  fearful  cry  of  the  hounds  in  his  rear. 
It  followed,  then,  that  when  we  drew  up  at  the  dis 
tance  of  some  two  hundred  yards  in  his  front,  he  con 
tinued  his  course,  unconscious  of  our  presence.  The 
Captain  whispered,  "  The  first  shot  is  yours;  fire." 

I  drew  up  my  piece,  and  fired ;  but  the  excitement 
of  the  chase,  and  the  fatigue  of  my  bridle-arm,  caused 
my  aim  to  be  unsteady,  and  my  bullet  cut  the  leaves 
from  the  bushes  above  his  head. 

The  buck  sprang  forward  at  the  report,  and  re 
doubled  his  efforts.  The  white  mare  now  stood 
statue-like,  with  ears  erect  and  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
noble  deer  still  advancing;  and  before  the  fated 
patriarch  of  the  wilds  had  made  two  leaps,  the  Cap 
tain's  piece  rang  forth  his  death-knell.  The  buck 
made  one  tremendous  leap ;  staggered  forward  a  few 
yards  in  quick,  irregular  plunges ;  recovered  himself ; 
and  then,  expending  the  remaining  energies  of  vital 
ity  in  one  majestic  bound,  fell  lifeless  on  the  plain. 


46.    Alligators 

BY  GEORGE  MCCALL  (1830) 

THE  weather  is  now  delightful,  though  quite  warm 
at  mid-day.  The  alligators,  who  have  lain  torpid  all 
winter,  packed  away  in  their  dens  in  the  river-banks, 
have  come  abroad  to  enjoy  the  genial  sunshine,  and 
to  commit  havoc  on  all  animals  who  venture  into  the 
water  which  they  inhabit.  The  Colonel  lost  a  very 


NO.  46]  Alligators  139 

fine  Northern  cow  a  few  days  ago  by  one  of  these 
monsters.  She  had  waded  into  the  river  by  the  side 
of  the  wharf  just  about  daylight  or  soon  after,  and, 
although  almost  under  the  eye  of  the  sentinel,  was 
seized,  terribly  lacerated  and  dragged  under  water. 
Another  officer  lost  a  good  pony  much  in  the  same 
way ;  he  had  waded  into  the  water  at  noon  to  drink 
and  cool  his  flanks,  when  he  was  caught  by  the  hock 
and  completely  hamstrung.  •  After  suffering  under 
such  depredations,  orders  were  given,  as  you  may 
well  suppose,  that  the  sentinel  posted  at  the  wharf 
should  fire  upon  every  alligator  that  showed  his  nose 
above  water.  In  this  way  quite  a  number  have  been 
killed. 

I  will  give  you  my  experience  in  one  or  two  cases 
occurring  under  my  own  eyes.  In  the  first  place,  I 
must  tell  you  that  a  short  time  since,  being  on  duty 
as  officer  of  the  day,  I  made  the  round  of  visiting  the 
different  guards  and  sentinels,  the  last  inspected 
being  at  the  subsistence  stores,  in  front  of  which  is 
the  wharf.  I  observed  several  officers  seated  under 
a  large  live-oak,  just  below  the  store-houses.  Here, 
at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they  were  enjoying  the 
refreshing  sea-breeze  then  coming  over  the  placid 
bay.  I  joined  them  with  a  glad  appreciation  of  the 
shade  and  the  delicious  air  so  welcome  after  an 
hour's  walk  under  a  hot  sun. 

I  had  not  been  many  minutes  in  conversation  with 
these  gentlemen,  when  the  top  of  an  alligator's  skull, 
his  cold,  hard,  unmeaning  eye,  and  the  tip  of  his 
nose,  all  that  he  usually  shows  above  water  as  he  re 
connoitres  "the  land  ahead,"  appeared  suddenly  in 
the  stream,  not  thirty  yards  from  the  sentinel's  post. 
The  latter  happened  to  be  a  man  of  my  own  com- 


140  Travellers  [NO.  46 

pany,  who  was,  I  knew,  a  crack  shot.  I  gave  him  a 
signal  to  fire.  Without  an  instant's  pause,  he  brought 
his  musket  to  his  shoulder  and  made  a  "snap-shot." 
The  huge  creature  sprung  half  out  of  water,  and 
falling  upon  his  back,  lashed  the  water  with  his  tail. 
This  was  apparently  a  large  fellow,  and  I  directed 
two  of  the  guard,  who  were  standing  by  as  spectators, 
to  take  a  canoe  that  lay  at  the  wharf,  and  bring  the 
reptile  ashore.  He  was  dragged  up  near  to  the  tree 
under  which  we  sat,  and  measured  thirteen  feet. 

As  I  wanted  a  good  tooth  from  which  to  fashion  a 
powder-charger  for  my  rifle,  I  sent  for  an  axe.  With 
this  the  man  struck  two  heavy  blows,  driving  the 
edge  of  the  axe  up  to  the  eye  into  the  animal's  skull, 
destroying,  as  one  would  think,  all  the  brain, 
if  any  there  was  left  after  the  shock  produced  by  the 
musket-ball,  which  had  passed  entirely  through  it. 

While  we  still  sat  under  the  oak,  perhaps  half  an 
hour  after  the  alligator  had  undergone  the  operation 
so  thoroughly  performed  by  the  axe-man,  we  were 
not  a  little  surprised  to  see  the  fellow,  who  lay  with 
his  head  turned  from  the  water,  rise  upon  his  feet, 
wheel  completely  round,  and  walk  directly  into  the 
water,  a  distance  of  about  ten  feet.  He  made  his 
way  through  the  bulrushes,  at  least  ten  feet  more, 
until  he  reached  a  depth  that  brought  the  water  to 
the  top  of  his  back,  and  there  he  lay,  I  presume, 
until  the  high  tide  floated  him  off,  for  he  had  not 
moved  when  the  call  of  "  Roast-beef"  upon  the  drum 
and  fife  summoned  us  to  dinner,  at  one  o'clock. 

Another  instance  is  a  rather  comical  one  that  hap 
pened  to  myself.  I  had  been  out  to  ride,  one  morn 
ing,  with  Lieutenant  Alexander,  when,  in  returning, 
we  saw  in  the  road  in  front  of  us,  at  the  distance  of 


NO.  46]  Alligators  141 

a  couple  of  hundred  yards  from  the  guard-house,  an 
alligator  about  seven  feet  in  length.  He  had  come 
from  the  river,  and  was  crossing  the  road  to  a  pond 
near  by.  As  we  drew  up  for  a  moment  to  look  at 
him,  I  happened  to  see  lying  by  the  road-side  a  pine 
pole  of  some  ten  feet  long,  and  as  thick  as  my  arm, 
that  had  fallen  from  a  passing  wagon.  This  sug 
gested  to  my  mind  the  idea  of  having  a  little  en 
counter  with  the  fellow,  with  a  view  to  capture  him 
if  I  could.  Accordingly  I  dismounted,  and  giving 
the  reins  to  Alexander,  I  seized  the  pole,  which  was 
quite  as  much  as  I  could  manage  with  both  hands. 

As  I  approached  Mr.  Alligator,  swinging  the  pole 
in  quite  a  threatening  attitude  around  my  head,  he 
showed  no  disposition  to  back  out ;  but,  on  the  con 
trary,  he  at  once  faced  me  and  advanced  boldly  with 
head  erect,  and  hissing  like  forty  geese.  I  stopped 
to  receive  him,  and  as  he  came  within  reach,  I  brought 
the  pine  pole  down  upon  his  head  with  all  the  force 
I  was  master  of.  This  neither  appalled  him  nor 
checked  his  advance,  and  he  continued  his  charge, 
slowly  to  be  sure,  but  with  great  determination,  still 
uttering  his  hissing  defiance,  and  totally  regardless 
of  the  heavy  blows  I  continued  to  pile  upon  his  head. 
I  was  compelled  to  move  backwards  to  keep  out  of 
reach  of  his  open  jaws,  but  I  continued  to  hammer 
him  well  over  the  head  all  the  time. 

At  length  my  perseverance  and  the  weight  of  the 
pine  pole  brought  his  head  to  the  ground.  I  then 
took  hold  of  the  end  of  his  tail  with  my  left  hand, 
and  mounting  my  horse  dragged  my  victim  into  the 
garrison.  Having  arrived  at  my  quarters,  I  hitched 
my  horse  to  the  ring  in  a  large  live-oak  in  front,  and 
leaving  the  alligator  where  he  lay  by  the  side  of  the 


14.2  Travellers  [NO.  46 

horse,  I  entered  my  sitting-room  where  the  company 
clerk  was  engaged  in  making  out  some  returns. 

While  standing  at  the  table  looking  at  his  work,  a 
loud  shout  and  a  merry  laugh  from  the  parade-ground 
called  me  to  the  door.  Here  I  beheld  my  friend, 
Master  Alligator,  with  head  up,  marching  with  great 
dignity  across  the  parade-ground  toward  the  soldiers' 
barracks,  while  the  men  were  collecting  round  him 
in  high  glee.  Being  much  interested  in  my  returns 
to  be  sent  to  Washington  by  the  vessel  now  looked 
for,  I  resumed  my  work  and  heard  no  more  of  the 
alligator.  He  of  course  was  only  stunned  by  the 
hammering  he  had  received,  but  many  of  the  blows  I 
gave  him  would  singly  have  killed  a  horse. 


PART    IV 

OUT   WEST 


47.     Building   a   Log   Cabin 

BY  A  PIONEER  (1822) 

IN  building  our  cabin  it  was  set  north  and  south ; 
my  brother  used  my  father's  pocket  compass  on  the 
occasion,  for  we  had  no  idea  of  living  in  a  house  that 
did  not  stand  square  with  the  earth  itself.  This 
showed  our  ignorance  of  the  comforts  and  conven 
iences  of  a  pioneer  life.  The  position  of  the  house, 
end  to  the  hill,  necessarily  elevated  the  lower  end, 
and  the  determination  to  have  both  a  north  and  south 
door,  added  much  to  the  airiness  of  the  house,  par 
ticularly  after  the  green  ash  puncheons  had  shrunk 
so  as  to  leave  cracks  in  the  floor  and  doors  from  one 
to  two  inches  wide.  At  both  the  doors  we  had  high, 
unsteady,  and  sometimes  icy  steps,  made  by  piling  up 
the  logs  cut  out  of  the  wall.  We  had  a  window,  if  it 
could  be  called  a  window,  when,  perhaps,  it  was  the 
largest  spot  in  the  top,  bottom,  or  sides  of  the  cabin 
at  which  the  wind  could  not  enter.  It  was  made  by 
sawing  out  a  log,  and  placing  sticks  across  ;  and  then, 
by  pasting  an  old  newspaper  over  the  hole,  and  apply 
ing  some  hog's  lard,  we  had  a  kind  of  glazing  which 
shed  a  most  beautiful  and  mellow  light  across  the 
cabin  when  the  sun  shone  on  it.  All  other  light  en 
tered  at  the  doors,  cracks,  and  chimney. 

J43 


144 


Out  West 


[No.  47 


Our  cabin  was  twenty-four  feet  by  eighteen.  The 
west  end  was  occupied  by  two  beds,  the  centre  of  each 
side  by  a  door,  and  here  our  symmetry  had  to  stop, 
for  on  the  side  opposite  the  window  were  our  shelves, 
made  of  clapboards,  supported  on  pins  driven  into  the 
logs.  Upon  these  shelves  my  sister  displayed,  in 
ample  order,  a  host  of  pewter  plates,  basins,  dishes, 
and  spoons,  scoured  and  bright.  It  was  none  of  your 
new-fangled  pewter  made  of  lead,  but  the  best  of 


A  LOG  CABIN. 


London  pewter,  which  our  father  himself  bought  of 
the  manufacturer.  These  were  the  plates  upon  which 
you  could  hold  your  meat  so  as  to  cut  it  without  slip 
ping  and  without  dulling  your  knife.  But,  alas  !  the 
days  of  pewter  plates  and  sharp  dinner  knives  have 
passed  away. 

To  return  to  our  internal  arrangements.  A  ladder 
of  five  rounds  occupied  the  corner  near  the  window. 
By  this,  when  we  got  a  floor  above,  we  could  ascend. 


NO. 47]  A   Log    Cabin  145 

Our  chimney  occupied  most  of  the  east  end;  there 
were  pots  and  kettles  opposite  the  window  under  the 
shelves,  a  gun  on  hooks  over  the  north  door,  four 
split-bottom  chairs,  three  three-legged  stools,  and  a 
small  eight  by  ten  looking-glass  sloped  from  the  wall 
over  a  large  towel  and  combcase.  Our  list  of  furni 
ture  was  increased  by  a  clumsy  shovel  and  a  pair  of 
tongs,  made  with  one  shank  straight,  which  was  a  cer 
tain  source  of  pinches  and  blood  blisters.  We  had 
also  a  spinning-wheel  and  such  things  as  were  neces 
sary  to  work  it.  It  was  absolutely  necessary  to  have 
three-legged  stools,  as  four  legs  of  anything  could  not 
all  touch  the  floor  at  the  same  time. 

The  completion  of  our  cabin  went  on  slowly.  The 
season  was  inclement,  we  were  weak-handed  and 
weak-pocketed,  — in  fact  laborers  were  not  to  be  had. 
We  got  our  chimney  up  breast  high  as  soon  as  we 
could,  and  got  our  cabin  daubed  as  high  as  the  joists 
outside.  It  never  was  daubed  on  the  inside,  for  my 
sister,  who  was  very  nice,  could  not  consent  to  "  live 
right  next  to  mud."  My  impression  now  is,  that  the 
window  was  not  constructed  till  spring,  for  until  the 
sticks  and  clay  were  put  on  the  chimney  we  could 
have  no  need  of  a  window  ;  for  the  flood  of  light  which 
always  poured  into  the  cabin  from  the  fireplace  would 
have  extinguished  our  paper  window,  and  rendered  it 
as  useless  as  the  moon  at  noonday.  We  got  a  floor 
laid  overhead  as  soon  as  possible,  perhaps  in  a  month  ; 
but  when  finished,  the  reader  will  readily  conceive  of 
its  imperviousness  to  wind  or  weather,  when  we  men 
tion  that  it  was  laid  of  loose  clapboards  split  from 
red  oak,  the  stump  of  which  may  be  seen  beyond  the 
cabin.  That  tree  must  have  grown  in  the  night,  for 
it  was  so  twisting  that  each  board  lay  on  two  diago- 


146  Out  West  [NO.  48 

nally  opposite  corners ;  and  a  cat  might  have  shaken 
every  board  on  our  ceiling. 

It  may  be  well  to  inform  the  unlearned  reader 
that  "  clapboards  "  are  such  lumber  as  pioneers  split 
throughout ;  they  resemble  barrel  staves  before  they 
are  shaved,  but  are  split  longer,  wider,  and  thinner ; 
of  such  our  roof  and  ceiling  were  composed.  "  Pun 
cheons  "  are  planks  made  by  splitting  logs  to  about  two 
and  a  half  or  three  inches  in  thickness,  and  hewing 
them  on  one  or  both  sides  with  the  broad-axe;  of 
such  our  floor,  doors,  tables,  and  stools  were  manu 
factured.  The  "  eave-bearers "  are  those  end  logs 
which  project  over  to  receive  the  butting  poles,  against 
which  the  lower  tier  of  clapboards  rest  to  form  the 
roof.  The  "  trapping  "  is  the  roof  timbers,  composing 
the  gable  end  and  the  ribs.  The  "  trap  logs  "  are  those 
of  unequal  length  above  the  eave-bearers,  which  form 
the  gable  ends,  and  upon  which  the  ribs  rest.  The 
"  weight  poles  "  are  small  logs  laid  on  the  roof,  which 
weigh  down  the  course  of  clapboards  on  which  they 
lie,  and  against  which  the  next  course  above  is  placed. 
The  "  knees  "  are  pieces  of  heart  timber  placed  above 
the  butting  poles,  successively,  to  prevent  the  weight 
poles  from  rolling  off. 


48.    The    Bear   Tree 

13 v  A  PIONEER  (1820) 

AMONG  the  first  settlers  of  a  new  country,  there 
are  always  found  men  of  great  courage.  Indeed 
courage  and  daring  are  characteristic  of  the  pioneers 
of  any  new  region.  All  know  (or  ought  to  know) 


NO. 4s]  The  Bear  Tree  147 

before  starting  for  a  wilderness,  that  they  will  be 
called  to  encounter  great  dangers  and  difficulties. 
There  is,  however,  a  kind  of  venturous  daring  peculiar 
to  the  first  settlers  of  a  new  country,  such  as  General 
Putnam  showed  when  he  ventured  into  the  wolf's 
den,  at  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of  Pomfret, 
Connecticut. 

A  case  of  as  great  risk,  intrepidity,  and  danger, 
took  place  at  Greensburgh,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio, 
soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  settlement  at 
that  place.  In  December,  1820,  a  man  named  Icha- 
bod  Merritt,  with  two  other  companions  (one  of  whom 
had  been  a  sailor)  went  upon  a  hunting  trip,  and 
came  upon  the  track  of  a  full  grown  bear.  There 
was  a  light  snow,  and  after  following  for  a  time,  they 
found  he  had  ascended  a  huge  white-wood.  The  tree 
had  been  broken  off  some  seventy  feet  from  the  ground 
and  they  supposed  that  the  bear  must  have  secreted 
himself  within  its  hollow  at  the  top. 

Unwilling  to  lose  their  game,  and  ready  for  any 
daring  enterprise,  they  looked  about  for  ways  and 
means  to  accomplish  their  object.  They  first  proposed 
cutting  the  tree  down ;  but  they  had  only  one  axe, 
and  that  a  dull  one,  and  the  tree  was  sound  at  the 
root  and  not  less  than  eighteen  feet  in  circumference. 
They  could  not  cut  it  down  before  sunset,  and  if  left 
over  night  the  bear  would  escape.  The  sailor  pro 
posed  that  if  a  smaller  tree  could  be  felled  and  lodged 
against  the  large  one,  he  would  climb  it  to  the  top 
and  shoot  the  bear.  A  beech  tree  was  therefore  cut 
and  lodged  accordingly.  The  sailor,  who  had  often 
ascended  the  waving  mast,  had  now  a  chance  to  show 
his  intrepidity  upon  a  forest  tree. 

Now  he  began  to  think  how  dangerous  would  be 


148  Out  U^est  [NO. 48 

his  perch,  should  he  succeed  in  gaining  the  top  and 
miss  his  first  shot.  The  enraged  bear  would  un 
doubtedly  claim  the  premises,  especially  should  it  be 
a  she  bear  with  her  cubs ;  she  would  doubtless  claim 
her  right  and  title  to  that  elevated  position,  and  might 
have  the  best  of  the  battle.  In  this  case  all  would 
agree  that  the  bear  would  have  a  choice  of  location 
and  the  advantage  of  position.  In  the  struggle,  too, 
the  beech  might  be  dislodged  from  the  white-wood, 
and  the  sailor  would  either  fall  with  it  to  the  ground, 
or  be  left  at  the  top  of  the  tree.  The  first  would  be 
certain  death,  and  the  other  would  not  be  amusing. 

These  were  solemn  thoughts  for  the  sailor,  and  they 
weakened  his  nerve,  so  that  when  he  attempted  to 
climb,  he  could  not  ascend,  after  repeatedly  trying, 
an  inch  farther  than  his  companions  could  push  him. 

Merritt  was  so  vexed  that  he  told  the  sailor  to  come 
down  and  let  him  try  what  he  could  do.  He  then 
slung  his  rifle  to  his  hunting  belt  with  the  muzzle 
downwards  and  began  to  ascend  the  beech  tree.  He 
succeeded  in  getting  from  the  topmost  branches  of 
the  beech  upon  the  limbs  of  the  white-wood  just  high 
enough  to  look  over  into  the  hollow.  It  was  dark, 
and  all  he  could  see  was  a  pair  of  eyes  several  feet 
below  him.  He  told  his  companions,  charged  them 
to  shoot  the  bear  the  moment  it  came  out  of  the  tree, 
and  called  on  them  for  protection,  if  he  missed. 

Thereupon  he  fired  into  the  tree,  retreated  back 
to  the  top  of  the  beech  and  instantly  re-loaded. 
Immediately  the  bear  with  two  cubs  came  out  of  the 
hollow  of  the  tree :  one  of  the  men  below  fired,  but 
he  missed.  The  cubs  took  to  a  limb  while  the  old 
bear  made  towards  Merritt.  She  was  in  a  menacing 
attitude  and  but  a  few  feet  above  him  when  he  fired 


NO.  49]  The   Pioneer  149 

a  second  shot  The  bear  fell,  just  brushing  against 
him  as  she  went.  Another  hunter  now  came  up  and 
shot  one  of  the  cubs,  and  Merritt  at  his  leisure  re-loaded 
and  shot  the  other.  The  hero  of  this  brave  hunt  made 
his  way  down  in  safety  and  carried  home  plenty  of 
meat  for  his  family. 


49.    The   Pioneer's   Watchful    Dog 

BY  FELIX  RENICK  (1842) 

AT  a  time  when  the  Indians  still  occasionally  com 
mitted  depredations  on  the  settlements  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  the  Virginia  town  of  Clarksburg,  Hughs 
and  one  of  his  neighbors  had  business  on  the  Ohio : 
they  therefore  agreed  to  go  together ;  and,  as  the 
saying  is,  to  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone,  for  they 
concluded  to  make  a  hunting  expedition  of  it.  They 
set  out  by  a  new  route,  traveled  slowly  and  killed 
what  game  they  could,  leaving  the  skins  to  take 
home  with  them  on  their  return.  On  the  second  or 
third  evening  of  the  trip,  they  made  their  camp  in 
time  to  prepare  and  eat  their  supper  before  nightfall. 

Here  is  a  good  place  to  describe  the  dress  and 
habits  of  such  bold  foresters.  They  always  chose  a 
camping-place  as  near  water  as  convenient,  and  kin 
dled  their  fire  by  the  side  of  the  largest  suitable  log 
that  could  be  found.  Ground  was  chosen  somewhat 
inclined,  so  that  they  might  lie  with  the  feet  to  the 
fire  and  the  head  uphill.  The  common  mode  of  pre 
paring  food,  was  to  sharpen  a  stick  at  both  ends  and 
stick  one  end  into  the  ground  in  front  of  the  fire, 
with  their  meat  on  the  other  end.  The  stick  and  its 
burden  could  be  turned  round,  as  occasion  required, 


LEWIS    IN    INDIAN    DRESS. 


NO.  49]  The   Pioneer  151 

so  as  to  roast  through.  Bread,  when  there  was  flour 
to  make  it  of,  was  either  baked  under  the  ashes, 
or  the  dough  was  rolled  in  long  rolls  and  wound 
round  a  stick  like  that  prepared  for  roasting  meat, 
and  managed  in  the  same  way. 

The  pioneer's  dress  consisted  principally  of  a  tow 
linen  shirt  and  pantaloons,  manufactured  by  wives 
and  daughters.  The  rest  of  their  dress  was  nearly 
all  of  buckskin,  killed  with  their  guns  and  dressed 
by  their  own  hands.  Their  moccasins  fitted  the  foot 
neatly,  and  dry  oak  leaves  usually  supplied  the  place 
of  socks  or  stockings.  Above  these  they  wore  a  pair 
of  buckskin  leggins,  or  gaiters,  made  to  fit  the  leg 
and  tie  in  with  the  moccasins  at  the  ankle ;  thence 
extending  some  distance  above  the  knees,  and  held 
by  a  strap  from  the  hip  of  the  pantaloons.  These 
leggins  were  a  defence  against  rattlesnakes,  briars, 
and  nettles.  In  cutting  the  leggins,  the  surplus  left 
on  the  outer  seam  was  hung  out  from  one  to  two 
inches  in  width,  and  was  cut  into  an  ornamental 
fringe.  The  hunting  shirt  comes  next.  It  too  was 
made  of  dressed  buckskin,  and  in  the  same  way  orna 
mented  with  the  fringe  down  the  outside  of  the  arms, 
around  the  collar,  cape,  belt,  and  skirts,  and  some 
times  down  the  seams  under  the  arms. 

Such  was  the  equipment  of  the  hero  of  our  narra 
tive  and  his  friend.  As  was  customary,  they  took 
off  their  moccasins  to  dry  them.  The  gaiters  and 
hunting  shirt  were  usually  taken  off  and  placed  under 
their  owner's  head  in  place  of  a  pillow.  A  huntsman 
without  a  dog  would  have  been  considered  a  fool  ; 
accordingly,  a  dog,  faithful  and  well  trained,  Hughs 
and  his  friend  had  with  them.  At  dusk  they  began 
to  make  some  preparations  for  lying  down,  by 


152  Out  ffiest  [NO. 49 

unbuttoning  their  leggins  and  loosing  their  belts. 
Hughs  soon  discovered  that  his  dog  was  very  rest 
less.  He  would  run  out  a  few  steps,  snuff  and  scent 
the  air,  and  frequently  give  a  low  stifled  growl. 

Hughs'  suspicion  made  him  decline  undressing 
any  further,  and  he  buckled  up  his  belt  again ;  but, 
unfortunately,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  sequel,  he 
forgot  to  button  the  straps  of  his  leggins  to  the  hips 
of  his  pantaloons.  After  watching  his  dog  for  some 
time,  he  spoke  to  his  friend,  and  told  him  that  he 
was  afraid  there  were  Indians  about.  His  friend 
thought  it  hardly  possible,  for  they  had  discovered 
no  Indian  signs,  nor  heard  the  crack  of  any  rifle  but 
their  own :  he  could  not  believe  that  they  were  followed. 

This  reasoning  did  not  satisfy  either  Hughs  or  his 
dog.  Hughs  told  his  friend  that  they  had  better 
leave  the  camp  and  watch  it  from  a  little  distance ; 
if  there  were  Indians  about,  as  he  was  convinced, 
they  would  break  on  the  camp  as  soon  as  they  sup 
posed  the  white  men  had  gone  to  sleep,  or  in  the 
morning ;  if  he  was  right  in  his  suspicion,  they  could 
kill  at  least  two  Indians,  and  then,  perhaps  might 
get  off. 

Nothing  could  induce  his  friend  to  believe  that 
there  was  any  danger,  and  he  refused  to  leave  the 
camp.  Hughs  then  told  him  that  he  would  not  leave 
him  alone,  but  they  must  sleep  on  their  arms  and  be 
ready  for  anything  that  might  happen.  To  this  his 
friend  agreed.  Hughs  and  his  dog  had  a  poor  night's 
rest ;  and  as  soon  as  day  began  fairly  to  break,  the 
dog  broke  out  into  a  furious  bark.  They  both  sprang 
to  their  feet  at  the  same  instant  that  a  volley  of  rifle 
shot  was  poured  in  upon  them.  Hughs'  friend  was 
killed  on  the  spot,  but  he  himself  received  no  injury 


NO.  5o]        Frontier   Neighbours         153 

except  a  bullet  or  two  through  his  hunting-shirt. 
He  took  to  his  heels  with  a  whole  band  of  Indians 
close  after  him  ;  but  luckily  for  him,  their  guns  were 
empty.  At  first  he  out-ran  them  with  ease,  but  his 
loosened  leggins  slipped  down  about  his  ankles,  and 
got  over  his  feet  and  hampered  him  so  much,  that 
the  Indians  began  to  gain  on  him.  He  must  get 
clear  of  his  leggins  or  lose  his  scalp.  Straining 
every  nerve,  he  ran  up  a  ridge  and  a  little  beyond 
the  top  he  stopped,  and  tore  off  his  leggins.  By  this 
time  the  Indians  came  up  nearly  within  tomahawk 
distance  of  him  ;  relieved  of  his  embarrassment,  he 
again  set  off  at  the  top  of  his  speed  and  soon  gained 
a  safe  distance.  As  he  passed  over  the  top  of  the 
next  high  ridge  he  gave  a  loud  shout  of  triumph,  well 
understood  by  the  Indians ;  for  they  gave  up  the 
chase,  and  let  him  make  for  home  at  his  leisure. 


50.    A    Frontier   Neighbour   and   a 
Kentucky    Conjurer 

BY  JAMES  HALL  (1835) 

THE  individual  alluded  to,  settled  here  at  a  time 
when  there  was  not  a  single  white  man  but  himself 
in  the  vicinity,  and  here  he  had  resided,  with  his  wife, 
for  a  year,  without  having  seen  the  face  of  any  other 
human  being.  Perhaps,  as  it  was  his  choice  to  re 
side  in  a  wilderness,  he  thought  it  prudent  to  con 
ceal  his  place  of  abode  from  the  Indians,  for  he 
erected  his  cabin  in  an  inhospitable  waste,  difficult 
of  access,  where  there  were  no  pastures  to  invite  the 


154  Out  litest  [NO.  5o 

deer  or  buffalo,  and  no  game  to  allure  the  savage 
hunter,  and  where  his  family  remained  secure,  while 
he  roved  with  his  gun  over  some  hunting  ground  at 
a  convenient  distance. 

After  passing  a  year  in  this  mode  of  life,  he  wan 
dered  one  day  through  the  woods  in  search  of  game, 
when  he  heard  the  barking  of  a  dog,  and  supposing 
that  an  Indian  was  near,  concealed  himself.  Pres 
ently  a  small  dog  came  running  along  his  track,  with 
his  nose  to  the  ground,  as  if  pursuing  his  footsteps. 
It  had  nearly  reached  his  hiding-place,  when  it 
stopped,  snuffed  the  air,  and  uttered  a  low  whine,  as 
if  to  warn  its  master,  that  the  object  of  pursuit  was 
near  at  hand.  In  a  few  minutes  the  owner  of  the 
dog  came  stepping  cautiously  along,  glancing  his 
eyes  around,  and  uttering  low  signals  to  the  dog. 
But  the  dog  stood  at  fault,  and  the  owner  halted, 
within  a  few  yards  of  our  hunter,  and  fully  exposed 
to  view. 

The  new  comer  was  a  tall  athletic  man,  completely 
armed,  with  rifle,  tomahawk,  and  knife ;  but  whether 
he  was  a  white  man  or  an  Indian,  could  not  be  deter 
mined,  either  by  his  complexion  or  dress.  He  wore 
a  hunting  shirt  and  leggins,  of  dressed  deer  skin,  and 
a  hat  from  which  the  rim  was  entirely  torn  away,  and 
the  crown  elongated  into  the  shape  of  a  sugar  loaf. 
His  face,  feet,  and  hands,  which  were  exposed,  were 
of  the  tawny  hue  of  the  savage,  but  whether  the  col 
our  was  natural,  or  the  effect  of  exposure,  could  not 
be  ascertained  even  by  the  keen  eye  of  the  hunter. 
His  features  were  so  disguised  by  dirt  and  gunpow 
der,  that  their  expression  afforded  no  clue,  by  which 
could  be  decided,  whether  the  individual  was  a  friend 
or  a  foe. 


NO.  5oj         Frontier   Neighbours         155 

There  was  but  a  moment  for  deliberation,  and  after 
a  hasty  scrutiny,  the  pioneer,  inclining  to  the  opin 
ion  that  the  stranger  was  an  Indian,  cautiously  drew 
up  his  rifle,  and  took  a  deliberate  aim  ;  but  the  bare 
possibility  that  he  might  be  pointing  his  weapon  at 
the  bosom  of  a  countryman,  induced  him  to  pause. 
Again  he  raised  his  gun,  and  again  hesitated,  while 
his  opponent  with  his  rifle  half  raised  towards  his 
face,  and  his  finger  on  the  trigger,  looked  eagerly 
around.  Both  stood  motionless  and  silent,  one 
searching  for  the  object  of  his  pursuit,  the  other  in 
readiness  to  fire.  At  length  the  hunter,  having  re 
solved  to  delay  no  longer,  cocked  his  rifle ;  the  tick 
reached  the  acute  ear  of  his  opponent,  who  instantly 
sprung  behind  a  tree.  The  hunter  imitated  his  ex 
ample,  and  they  were  now  fairly  opposed,  each 
covered  by  a  tree,  from  behind  which  he  endeav 
oured  to  get  a  shot  at  his  adversary  without  exposing 
his  own  person.  Now  a  series  of  stratagems  began, 
each  seeking  to  draw  the  fire  of  the  other  until  the 
stranger,  becoming  weary  of  suspense,  called  out, 
"  Why  don't  you  shoot,  you  coward  ?  "  "  Shoot,  your 
self,  you  red-skin,"  retorted  the  other.  "  No  more  a 
red-skin  than  yourself."  "Are  you  a  white  man?" 
"  To  be  sure  I  am,  are  you?"  "Yes  —  no  mistake 
in  me."  Whereupon  each  being  undeceived,  they 
threw  down  their  guns,  rushed  together  with  open 
arms,  and  took  a  hearty  hug. 

The  hunter  now  learned,  that  the  stranger  had 
been  settled,  with  his  family,  about  ten  miles  from 
him,  for  several  months  past,  and  that  they  had  often 
roamed  over  the  same  hunting  grounds  each  suppos 
ing  himself  the  sole  inhabitant  of  that  region.  On 
the  following  day  the  hunter  saddled  his  horse,  and 


156  Out  U^est  [NO. 5o 

taking  up  his  good  wife  behind  him,  carried  her 
down,  to  make  a  call  upon  her  new  neighbour,  who 
received  the  visit  with  joy. 

An  anecdote  is  told  of  Boone,  which  is  highly 
characteristic  of  the  humour  and  the  coolness  of  the 
pioneer.  He  was  once  resting  in  the  woods,  with  a 
small  number  of  followers,  when  a  large  party  of 
Indians  came  suddenly  upon  them  and  halted ; 
neither  party  had  discovered  the  other  until  they 
came  in  contact.  The  whites  were  eating ;  and  the 
Indians,  with  the  ready  tact  for  which  they  are 
famous,  sat  down  with  perfect  composure  and  com 
menced  eating  also.  It  was  obvious  that  they  wished 
to  lull  the  suspicions  of  the  white  men,  and  to  seize 
a  favourable  opportunity  for  rushing  upon  them. 

Boone  affected  a  careless  inattention  ;  but  in  an 
under  tone,  quietly  admonished  his  men  to  keep 
their  hands  upon  their  rifles.  He  then  strolled 
towards  the  Indians,  unarmed,  and  leisurely  picking 
the  meat  from  a  bone ;  the  Indian  leader,  who  was 
similarly  employed,  rose  to  meet  him.  Boone  saluted 
him,  and  then  requested  to  look  at  the  knife  with 
which  the  Indian  was  cutting  his  meat.  The  chief 
handed  it  to  him  without  hesitation ;  and  our  pio 
neer,  who,  with  his  other  accomplishments,  possessed 
considerable  expertness  at  sleight  of  hand,  deliber 
ately  opened  his  mouth  and  affected  to  swallow  the 
long  knife,  which,  at  the  same  instant,  he  threw 
adroitly  into  his  sleeve. 

The  Indians  were  astonished ;  Boone  gulped, 
rubbed  his  throat,  stroked  his  body,  and  then,  with 
apparent  satisfaction,  pronounced  the  horrid  mouth 
ful  to  be  very  good.  He  enjoyed  the  surprise  of  the 
spectators  for  a  few  moments,  then  made  another  con- 


NO.  5o]  Conjurers  157 

tortion,  drew  forth  the  knife,  as  they  supposed,  from 
his  body,  and  civilly  returned  it  to  the  chief.  The 
latter  took  the  point  cautiously  between  his  thumb  and 
finger,  as  if  fearful  of  being  contaminated  by  touch 
ing  the  weapon,  and  threw  it  from  him  into  the 
bushes.  The  pioneer  sauntered  back  to  his  party; 
and  the  Indians,  instantly  despatching  their  meal, 
marched  off,  desiring  no  farther  intercourse  with  a 
man  who  could  swallow  a  scalping-knife. 

A  singular  manoeuvre  was  practised  by  a  party  of 
Indians,  who  had  stolen  some  horses  on  Elkhorn,  in 
1788.  They  were  pursued  by  a  superior  number  of 
Americans,  for  about  twenty  miles,  and  overtaken 
at  a  spot  in  a  brushy  copse  of  wood  where  they  had 
halted  to  rest.  The  whites  came  upon  them  sud 
denly,  and  the  parties  discovered  each  other  simul 
taneously.  The  pursuers  made  preparations  to  fire ; 
the  Indians  sprang  up  from  the  ground,  on  which 
they  were  sitting,  and  gave  a  yell ;  but,  instead  of 
making  any  show  of  resistance,  ran  about  as  if  dis 
tracted.  One,  who  was  probably  the  chief,  threw 
himself  between  the  two  parties,  and  continued  to 
scream  and  jump,  dodging  from  side  to  side,  springing 
aloft,  and  throwing  his  body  into  violent  contortions. 

This  strange  exhibition  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  Kentuckians,  and  prevented  them  from  firing  ; 
while  the  other  Indians,  gathering  up  their  guns  and 
blankets,  disappeared.  When  the  dexterous  savage, 
perceiving  that  his  comrades  were  so  scattered  as  to 
be  safe  from  immediate  danger,  he  suddenly  threw 
off  his  feigned  character,  dashed  into  the  bushes,  and 
made  his  escape,  leaving  a  foe  superior  in  numbers, 
bewildered  with  amazement  at  this  extemporaneous 
display  of  ingenuity. 


158  Out  W^est  [NO. 5i 

51.    A  Bear  Hunt  in  Lake 
Michigan 

BY  CHARLES  CLEAVER  (about  1830) 

As  for  Wilson's  bear  story,  it  is  actually  true  that 
he  took  a  large  bear  in  Lake  Michigan,  or  rather  out 
of  the  lake,  northwest  of  Waukegan.  I  was  going 
up  to  Milwaukee  at  the  time,  in  one  of  the  big  steam 
ers,  and  was  sitting  reading  in  the  cabin,  when  the 
Captain  rushed  in,  evidently  very  much  excited,  and 
snatched  his  glass  from  the  table.  I  inquired  what 
was  the  matter ;  he  said  there  was  something  in  the 
lake  about  two  miles  ahead,  and  they  could  not  make 
out  what  it  was.  Of  course  my  book  was  dropped 
in  a  moment,  and  I  hastened  after  the  Captain  to  the 
bow  of  the  boat.  There  I  found  most  of  the  few 
passengers  on  board  anxiously  trying  to  make  out 
this  strange  object.  Those  used  to  sailing  can  form 
some  idea  of  the  commotion  caused  on  board  a  craft 
when  anything  unusual  is  sighted. 

The  Captain,  after  examination  by  glass,  first  said 
it  was  a  horse,  then  a  deer,  and,  on  getting  nearer, 
declared  it  to  be  a  bear.  He  decided  at  once  that  he 
would  catch  him  at  all  hazard,  and,  on  calling  for 
volunteers,  found  no  want  of  men  willing  to  under 
take  the  task.  So  the  small  boat  was  lowered,  with 
four  stalwart  sailors  at  the  oars,  the  mate  at  the  helm, 
and  a  man  at  the  bow,  with  a  rope,  in  which  he  made 
a  slip-noose.  They  started  for  poor  Bruin,  and  when 
he  found  that  they  were  after  him,  he  made  most  excel 
lent  time  toward  the  middle  of  the  lake,  and  for  a  mile 
or  two  led  them  a  splendid  race,  before  they  came  up 


NO.  5i]  ^4  Bear   Hunt  159 

with  him.  After  two  or  three  attempts,  the  man  at 
the  bow  threw  the  fatal  noose  over  his  head.  Di 
rectly  the  bear  found  he  was  caught,  he  turned  and 
made  for  the  boat,  evidently  intending  to  carry  the 
war  into  the  enemy's  camp ;  but  they  were  too  quick 
for  him,  since  they  did  not  like  the  idea  of  having  a 
bear  for  a  passenger.  They  turned  and  rowed  for 
the  steamer  with  all  their  might.  This  brought  poor 
Bruin's  nose  under  the  water,  and,  by  the  time  they 
reached  the  steamboat,  which  had  been  following 
pretty  close  in  the  wake  of  the  pursuers,  he  was 
almost  drowned. 

The  rope  was  thrown  to  the  deck ;  we  soon  hauled 
him  in  ;  and  then  held  a  council-of-war  as  to  what 
should  be  done  with  him.  It  was  at  first  suggested 
that  he  should  be  chained  up,  and  a  large  chain  was 
brought  and  put  round  his  neck.  Then  some  ladies 
came  to  look  at  him,  and  exclaimed,  "  Oh  the  horrid 
great  creature  !  do  kill  him !  "  Some  person  stand 
ing  by  put  his  hand  on  the  animal's  heart  and  said 
he  was  fast  recovering,  and,  if  he  was  not  killed,  would 
soon  be  master  of  the  boat.  On  which  a  bevy  of 
female  and  some  male  voices,  cried  out  to  the  Captain 
to  have  him  killed  at  once.  On  a  butcher  offering 
to  do  the  job,  the  Captain  consented,  and  the  bear 
was  doomed  to  have  his  throat  cut  and  die  as  igno 
minious  a  death  as  any  common  porker. 

He  was  a  noble  fellow,  black  and  tan,  seven  or 
eight  feet  in  length,  and,  when  he  was  skinned, 
showed  such  claws  and  muscles  that  the  volunteers 
rejoiced  that  he  did  not  make  good  his  entry  into  the 
boat,  for  he 'would  certainly  have  driven  them  into 
the  water  if  they  had  escaped  his  claws  and  teeth. 

It  was  reported  that  a  farmer  drove  him  into  the 


i  6  o  Out  U^est  [NO.  52 

lake.  On  my  return  to  land,  two  days  after,  I  made 
several  inquiries,  and  was  told  he  was  driven  into  the 
lake  the  evening  before ;  but  I  always  doubted  the 
truth  of  his  swimming  in  the  water  all  night  and  half 
the  next  day.  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  he 
was  driven  in  that  same  morning,  and,  when  he  found 
'he  was  watched  from  the  shore,  put  well  out  into 
the  lake  for  safety.  It  is  certain  that  when  first 
seen  by  us  he  was  swimming  from  the  shore,  and 
was  fully  five  miles  out. 


52.     Killing   a   Panther 

BY  RANDOLPH  BARNES  MARCY  (1852) 

IN  the  evening,  shortly  after  we  had  turned  out  our 
animals  to  graze,  and  had  made  everything  snug  and 
comfortable  about  us,  one  of  the  hunters  came  into 
camp  and  informed  us  that  a  panther  had  crossed  the 
creek  but  a  short  distance  above,  and  was  coming 
towards  us.  This  piece  of  intelligence,  as  may  be 
supposed,  created  no  little  excitement  in  our  quiet 
circle.  Everybody  was  up  in  an  instant,  seized  mus 
kets,  rifles,  or  any  other  weapon  that  came  to  hand, 
and,  followed  by  all  the  dogs  in  camp,  a  very  general 
rush  was  made  towards  the  spot  indicated  by  the 
Delaware.  On  reaching  the  place,  we  found  where 
the  animal,  in  stepping  from  the  creek,  had  left  water 
upon  his  track ;  this  was  not  yet  dry,  and  showed 
that  he  had  passed  within  a  short  time.  We  pointed 
out  the  track  to  several  of  the  dogs,  and  endeavored, 
by  every  means  which  our  ingenuity  could  suggest, 
to  inspire  them  with  some  small  degree  of  that  enthu 
siasm  which  had  animated  us.  We  coaxed,  cheered, 


NO.  52]          Killing  a    Panther          161 

and  scolded,  put  their  noses  into  the  track,  clapped 
our  hands,  pointed  in  the  direction  of  the  trail,  hissed, 
and  made  use  of  every  argument  to  convince  them 
that  there  was  something  of  importance  on  hand  ;  but 
it  was  all  to  no  purpose.  They  did  not  seem  to  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  the  chase,  or  to  regard  the  occasion 
as  one  in  which  there  was  much  glory  to  be  derived 
from  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their  illustrious 
predecessor.  On  the  contrary,  the  zeal  which  they 
showed  in  starting  out  from  camp,  suddenly  abated 
as  soon  as  they  came  in  contact  with  the  track,  and 
it  was  with  very  great  difficulty  that  we  could  prevent 
them  from  running  away. 

At  this  moment,  however,  our  old  bear-dog  came 
up,  and  no  sooner  had  he  caught  a  snuff  of  the  at 
mosphere  than,  suddenly  coming  to  a  stop  and  rais 
ing  his  head  into  the  air,  he  sent  forth  one  prolonged 
note  and  started  off  in  full  cry  upon  the  trail.  He 
led  off  boldly  into  the  timber,  followed  by  the  other 
dogs,  who  had  now  recovered  confidence,  while  the 
men  followed  at  their  heels,  cheering  them  on  and 
shouting  most  vociferously,  each  one  anxious  to  get 
the  first  glimpse  of  the  panther.  They  soon  roused 
him  from  his  lair,  and  after  making  a  few  circuits 
around  the  grove,  he  took  to  a  tree.  I  was  so  fortu 
nate  as  to  reach  the  spot  a  little  in  advance  of  the 
party,  and  gave  him  a  shot  which  brought  him  to  the 
ground.  The  dogs  then  closed  in  with  him,  and 
others  of  the  party  coming  up  directly  afterwards, 
fired  several  shots,  which  took  effect  and  soon  placed 
him  "hors  du  combat."  He  was  a  fine  specimen 
of  the  North  American  cougar,  measuring  eight 
and  a  half  feet  from  his  nose  to  the  extremity  of 
the  tail. 


I  62  Out    If^CSt  [No.  53 

53.    A    Beaver    Dam 

BY   RANDOLPH  BARNES  MARCY  (1852) 

A  COMMUNITY  of  beavers  have  selected  a  spot  upon 
the  creek  near  our  camp,  for  their  interesting  labors 
and  habitations.  I  know  of  no  animal  concerning 
which  the  accounts  of  travellers  have  been  more 
extraordinary,  more  marvellous  or  contradictory,  than 
those  given  of  the  beaver.  By  some  he  is  elevated 
in  point  of  intellect  almost  to  a  level  with  man.  He 
has  been  said,  for  instance,  to  construct  houses,  with 
several  floors  and  rooms ;  to  plaster  the  rooms  with 
mud  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  smooth  walls,  and 
to  drive  stakes  of  six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter  into 
the  ground,  and  to  perform  many  other  astounding 
feats,  which  I  am  inclined  to  believe  are  not  sup 
ported  by  credible  testimony.  Laying  aside  these 
questionable  statements,  there  is  quite  enough  in  the 
natural  history  of  the  beaver  to  excite  our  wonder 
and  admiration.  For  instance,  at  this  place,  upon  an 
examination  of  the  dam  they  have  constructed,  I  was 
both  astonished  and  delighted  at  the  wonderful  sa 
gacity,  skill,  and  perseverance  which  they  have  shown. 

Having  chosen  a  spot  where  the  banks  on  each  side 
of  the  creek  were  narrow  and  sufficiently  high  to 
raise  a  head  of  about  five  feet,  they  selected  two 
cotton-wood  trees  fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  situated 
above  this  point,  and  inclined  towards  the  stream  : 
these  they  cut  down  with  their  teeth,  (as  the  marks 
upon  the  stumps  plainly  showed,)  floated  them  down 
to  the  position  chosen  for  the  dam,  and  placed  them 
across  the  stream  with  an  inclination  downward, 
uniting  in  the  centre.  This  formed  the  foundation 


NO. 54]  A  Wild  Horse  163 

upon  which  the  superstructure  of  brush  and  earth 
was  placed,  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  a  brush 
dam  is  made  by  our  millwrights,  with  the  bushes  and 
earth  alternating  and  packed  closely,  the  butts  in  all 
cases  turned  down  the  stream.  After  this  is  raised 
to  a  sufficient  height,  the  top  is  covered  with  earth, 
except  in  the  centre,  where  there  is  a  sluice  or  waste- 
wier,  which  lets  off  the  superfluous  water  when  it 
rises  so  high  as  to  endanger  the  structure.  In  exam 
ining  the  results  of  the  labors  of  these  ingenious  ani 
mals,  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  plan  of  erecting  our 
brush  dams  must  have  been  originally  suggested  from 
seeing  those  of  the  beavers,  as  they  are  very  similar. 
I  watched  for  some  time  upon  the  banks  of  the 
pond,  but  could  see  none  of  the  animals.  I  presume 
they  think  we  make  too  much  noise  in  our  camp  to 
suit  them,  and  deem  it  most  prudent  to  remain  con 
cealed  in  their  sub-marine  houses.  I  observed  one 
place  above  the  pond  where  they  had  commenced 
another  dam,  and  had  progressed  so  far  as  to  cut 
down  two  trees  on  opposite  sides  of  the  creek ;  but 
as  they  did  not  fall  in  the  right  direction  to  suit  their 
purposes,  the  work  was  abandoned. 


54.    A   Horse  in  a   California  Bar 
room 

BY  MRS.  D.  B.  BATES  (1858) 

WHILE  stopping  at  the  Tremont  House,  I  witnessed 
what  to  me  was  a  novel  sight ;  and  I  will  endeavor 
to  relate,  in  a  manner  which  I  hope  will  interest,  the 
method  of  taming  a  wild  horse.  The  first  thing  I 


164  Out    IPeSt  [No.  54 

saw  was  an  unusual  collection  of  people,  and  in  their 
midst  a  horse  blindfolded,  with  a  Mexican  vaquero  in 
the  act  of  mounting.  When  once  seated  on  the  back 
of  these  wild,  fleet  animals  of  the  plains,  it  is  next  to 
an  impossibility  to  unhorse  these  men.  From  the 
nature  of  their  pursuits  and  amusements,  they  have 
brought  horsemanship  to  a  degree  of  perfection 
challenging  admiration,  and  exciting  astonishment. 
All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  blinder  was  re 
moved.  The  horse,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
feeling  the  weight  of  man  upon  his  back,  with  dis 
tended  nostrils,  eyes  glaring  like  orbs  of  fire,  and 
protruding  from  their  sockets,  gave  a  succession  of 
fierce  snorts,  performed  sundry  evolutions  which 
would  have  puzzled  the  master  of  a  gymnasium  to 
have  imitated,  and  then  dashed  off  at  a  furious  rate, 
determined  to  free  himself  from  his  captor,  or  die  in 
the  attempt. 

It  was  an  exciting  and  cruel  sport  to  witness.  The 
reeking  sides  of  the  poor  beast  were  covered  with 
foam  and  blood,  which  had  been  drawn  by  driving 
those  merciless  spurs  into  the  flesh.  Both  horse  and 
rider  would  disappear  for  a  few  moments  in  some 
distant  part  of  the  town,  then  reappear  again,  dash 
ing  madly  on.  Finally,  the  horse,  in  passing  the 
Tremont  Hotel,  which  was  all  thrown  open  in  front 
to  admit  air,  sprang,  quick  as  a  flash,  upon  the  piazza, 
and  dashed  into  the  bar-room.  In  making  his  ingress 
so  suddenly,  the  Mexican's  head  had  been  forcibly 
struck  against  the  top  of  the  door,  and  he  fell 
stunned  to  the  floor.  The  inmates  of  the  bar-room, 
about  twenty  in  number,  fled  in  every  direction.  The 
bar-keeper,  a  very  corpulent  person,  went  out  through 
a  small  back  window  —  so  small,  that,  upon  ordinary 


NO. 54]  A  IFild  Horse  165 

occasions,  he  would  never  have  had  the  presumption 
to  attempt  it,  for -it  actually  endangered  his  life  sud 
denly  to  thrust  his  portly  figure  through  so  small  an 
aperture ;  but  now,  out  of  two  evils,  he  was  forced  to 
choose  the  least.  The  horse,  finding  himself  in  un 
disputed  possession  of  the  room,  stood  for  a  moment 
looking  at  himself  in  a  large  mirror  hung  behind 
the  long  marble  slab.  Then  he  dashed  furiously  at 
the  bar,  upset  it,  smashed  the  splendid  mirror  into  a 
thousand  pieces,  broke  the  cut-glass  decanters,  while 
the  contents  ran  upon  the  floor.  He  also  broke  to 
pieces  several  large  arm-chairs,  valued  at  twelve  dol 
lars  apiece.  Then  he  passed  through  a  side-door  into 
a  large  saloon,  and  crossed  that  without  doing  any 
material  damage.  As  the  horse  was  leaving  the  house, 
the  Mexican,  who  recovered  his  senses,  sprang  with 
surprising  agility  upon  his  back,  and  the  race  for 
freedom  again  commenced ;  but  this  time  it  was  not 
for  long.  The  horse,  reduced  almost  to  prostration, 
yielded  to  the  superior  power  of  man,  and  was  taken, 
more  dead  than  alive,  to  a  stable,  rubbed  down, 
placed  in  a  stall,  fed,  and  petted ;  and,  from  the 
hour  in  which  he  unwillingly  gave  up  a  life  of  free 
dom,  never  more  to  roam  with  a  wild  herd  over  broad 
plains  and  flowery  vales,  he  was  a  gentle,  submissive 
slave. 

The  wild  horse  is  gracefully  formed,  with  flowing 
tail  and  mane ;  but  I  never  saw  one  that  was  fat : 
they  race  their  flesh  off.  The  man  who  owned  the 
horse  readily  paid  the  expenses  of  refitting  the  bar 
room.  The  amount  of  property  he  destroyed  was  at 
that  time  estimated  at  a  thousand  dollars. 


i66 


Out  West 


[No.  55 


55.    On   the    Road 

BY  FRANCIS  PARKMAN  (1847) 

WE  were  moving  slowly  along,  not  far  from  a  patch 
of  woods  which  lay  on  the  right.  Jack  rode  a  little  in 
advance,  when  suddenly  he  faced  about,  pointed  to 
the  woods,  and  roared  out  to  his  brother,  — 

"O  Bill!  here's  a  cow." 

The  Captain  instantly  galloped  forward,  and  he 
and  Jack  made  a  vain  attempt  to  capture  the  prize ; 


THE   OREGON   TRAIL. 


but  the  cow,  with  a  well-grounded  distrust  of  their 
intentions,  took  refuge  among  the  trees.  Rob  joined 
them,  and  they  soon  drove  her  out.  We  watched 
their  evolutions  as  they  galloped  around  her,  trying 
in  vain  to  noose  her  with  their  trail-ropes,  which  they 
had  converted  into  lariettes  for  the  occasion.  At 
length  they  resorted  to  milder  measures,  and  the  cow 


NO. 55]  On  the  Road  167 

was  driven  along  with  the  party.  Soon  after,  the 
usual  thunder-storm  came  up,  and  the  wind  blew  with 
such  fury  that  the  streams  of  rain  flew  almost  hori 
zontally  along  the  prairie,  and  roared  like  a  cataract. 
The  horses  turned  tail  to  the  storm,  and  stood  hang 
ing  their  heads,  bearing  the  infliction  with  an  air  of 
meekness  and  resignation ;  while  we  drew  our  heads 
between  our  shoulders,  and  crouched  forward,  so  as 
to  make  our  back  serve  as  a  shed  for  the  rest  of  our 
persons. 

Meanwhile  the  cow,  taking  advantage  of  the 
tumult,  ran  off,  to  the  great  discomfiture  of  the  Cap 
tain.  In  defiance  of  the  storm,  he  pulled  his  cap 
tight  over  his  brows,  jerked  a  huge  buffalo-pistol 
from  his  holster,  and  set  out  at  full  speed  after  her. 
This  was  the  last  we  saw  of  them  for  some  time,  for 
the  mist  and  rain  made  an  impenetrable  veil;  but  at 
length  we  heard  the  Captain's  shout,  and  saw  him 
looming  through  the  tempest,  the  picture  of  a  Hiber 
nian  cavalier,  with  his  cocked  pistol  held  aloft  for 
safety's  sake,  and  a  countenance  of  anxiety  and  ex 
citement.  The  cow  trotted  before  him,  but  exhibited 
evident  signs  of  an  intention  to  run  off  again,  and  the 
Captain  was  roaring  to  us  to  head  her.  But  the  rain 
had  got  in  behind  our  coat  collars,  and  was  travelling 
over  our  necks  in  numerous  little  streamlets,  and  being 
afraid  to  move  our  heads,  for  fear  of  admitting  more, 
we  sat  stiff  and  immovable,  looking  at  the  Captain 
askance,  and  laughing  at  his  frantic  movements. 
At  last  the  cow  made  a  sudden  plunge  and  ran  off ; 
the  Captain  grasped  his  pistol  firmly,  spurred  his 
horse,  and  galloped  after,  with  evident  designs  of 
mischief.  In  a  moment  we  heard  the  faint  report, 
deadened  by  the  rain,  and  then  the  conqueror  and 


1 68  Out  West  [NO. 56 

his  victim  reappeared.  Not  long  after,  the  storm 
moderated,  and  we  advanced  again.  The  cow  walked 
painfully  along  under  the  charge  of  Jack,  to  whom 
the  Captain  had  committed  her,  while  he  himself 
rode  forward  in  his  old  capacity  of  vidette.  We  were 
approaching  a  long  line  of  trees,  that  followed  a 
stream  stretching  across  our  path,  far  in  front,  when 
we  beheld  the  vidette  galloping  towards  us  apparently 
much  excited,  but  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  face. 

"  Let  that  cow  drop  behind !  "  he  shouted  to  us ; 
"  here's  her  owners." 

And,  in  fact,  as  we  approached  the  line  of  trees,  a 
large  white  object,  like  a  tent,  was  visible  behind 
them.  On  approaching,  however,  we  found,  instead 
of  the  expected  Mormon  camp,  nothing  but  the  lonely 
prairie,  and  a  large  white  rock  standing  by  the  path. 
The  cow,  therefore,  resumed  her  place  in  our  proces 
sion. 


56.    The   Bee-hunter 

BY  THOMAS  THORPE  (1846) 

IT  was  on  a  beautiful  Southern  October  morning, 
at  the  hospitable  mansion  of  a  friend,  that  I  first  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  Tom  Owen.  He  was  on  this 
occasion  straggling  up  the  rising  ground  that  led  to 
the  house  of  my  host.  His  head  was  adorned  with 
an  outlandish  pattern  of  a  hat ;  his  legs  were  clad  in 
a  pair  of  trousers,  beautifully  fringed  by  the  brier- 
bushes  through  which  they  were  often  drawn ;  coats 
and  vests  he  considered  as  superfluities  ;  hanging 
upon  his  back  were  a  couple  of  pails ;  and  an  axe  in 


NO. 56]  The  Bee- hunter  169 

his  right  hand  formed  the  varieties  that  represented 
Tom  Owen.  As  is  usual  with  great  men,  he  had 
his  followers,  and  with  a  courtier-like  humility  they 
depended  upon  the  expression  of  his  face  for  all  their 
hopes  of  success. 

The  usual  salutations  of  meeting  were  sufficient  to 
draw  me  within  the  circle  of  his  influence,  and  I  at 
once  became  one  of  his  most  ready  followers.  "  See 
yonder ! "  said  Tom,  stretching  his  long  arm  into 
infinite  space,  "  see  yonder  —  there's  a  bee."  We  all 
looked  in  the  direction  he  pointed,  but  that  was  the 
extent  of  our  observation.  "  It  was  a  fine  bee,"  con 
tinued  Tom,  "  black  body,  yellow  legs,  and  into  that 
tree,"  pointing  to  a  towering  oak,  blue  in  the  dis 
tance.  "  On  a  clear  day  I  can  see  a  bee  over  a  mile, 
easy!" 

After  a  variety  of  wandering  through  the  thick 
woods,  and  clambering  over  fences,  we  came  to  our 
place  of  destination  as  pointed  out  by  Tom ;  he 
selected  a  mighty  tree  whose  trunk  contained  the 
sweets,  the  possession  of  which  the  poets  have  lik 
ened  to  other  sweets  that  leave  a  sting  behind.  The 
felling  of  a  great  tree  is  a  sight  that  calls  up  a  variety 
of  emotions ;  and  Tom's  game  was  lodged  in  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  forest.  But  "  the  axe  was  laid  at  the 
root  of  the  tree,"  which,  in  Tom's  mind,  was  made 
expressly  for  bees  to  build  their  nests  in,  that  he 
might  cut  them  down  and  obtain  possession  thereof. 
The  sharp  sounds  of  the  axe  as  it  played  in  the  hands 
of  Tom,  and  was  replied  to  by  a  stout  negro  from  the 
opposite  side,  rapidly  gained  upon  the  heart  of  the 
lordly  sacrifice.  There  was  little  poetry  in  the  thought 
that  long  before  this  mighty  empire  of  states  was 
formed,  Tom  Owen's  "  bee-hive  "  had  stretched'  its 


i  7  o  Out  West  [NO.  56 

brawny  arms  to  the  winter's  blast  and  grown  green 
in  the  summer's  sun.  Yet  such  was  the  case,  and 
how  long  I  might  have  moralized  I  know  not,  had 
not  the  enraged  buzzing  about  my  ears  satisfied  me 
that  the  occupants  of  the  tree  were  not  going  to  give 
up  their  home  and  treasure  without  showing  consid 
erable  practical  fight.  No  sooner  had  the  little  in 
sects  satisfied  themselves  that  they  were  about  to  be 
invaded  than  they  began  one  after  another  to  descend 
from  their  airy  abode  and  fiercely  pitch  into  our  faces  ; 
anon  a  small  company,  headed  by  an  old  veteran, 
would  charge  with  its  entire  force  upon  all  parts  of 
our  body  at  once.  It  need  not  be  said  that  the  better 
part  of  valor  was  displayed  by  a  precipitate  retreat 
from  such  attacks. 

In  the  midst  of  this  warfare  the  tree  began  to  trem 
ble  with  the  fast-repeated  strokes  of  the  axe,  and  then 
might  have  been  seen  a  bee-hive  of  stingers  precipi 
tating  themselves  from  above  on  the  unfortunate 
hunter  beneath.  Now  it  was  that  Tom  shone  forth 
in  his  glory. 

His  partisans,  like  many  hangers-on  about  great 
men,  began  to  desert  him  on  the  first  symptoms  of 
danger ;  and  when  the  trouble  thickened,  they  one 
and  all,  took  to  their  heels,  and  left  only  our  hero 
and  Sambo  to  fight  their  adversaries.  Sambo,  how 
ever,  soon  dropped  his  axe  and  fell  into  all  kinds  of 
contortions ;  first  he  would  seize  the  back  of  his  neck 
with  his  hands,  then  his  shins,  and  yell  with  pain. 
"  Don't  holler,  nigger,  till  you  get  out  of  the  woods," 
said  the  sublime  Tom,  consolingly ;  but  writhe  he  did, 
until  he  broke  and  left  Tom  "  alone  in  his  glory." 

Cut  —  thwack!  sounded  through  the  confused  hum 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  marvellously  reminding  me  of 


NO.  56]  The  Bee- hunter  171 

the  interruptions  that  occasionally  broke  in  upon  the 
otherwise  monotonous  hours  of  my  school-boy  days. 
A  sharp  cracking  finally  told  me  the  chopping  was 
done,  and  looking  aloft,  I  saw  the  mighty  tree  bal 
ancing  in  the  air.  Slowly  and  majestically  it  bowed 
for  the  first  time  towards  its  mother  earth,  gaining 
velocity  as  it  descended,  shivering  the  trees  that  in 
terrupted  its  downward  course,  and  falling  with  thun 
dering  sound,  splintering  its  mighty  limbs  and  burying 
them  deeply  in  the  ground. 

The  sun,  for  the  first  time  in  at  least  two  centuries, 
broke  uninterruptedly  through  the  chasm  made  in  the 
forest,  and  shone  with  splendor  upon  the  magnificent 
Tom  standing  a  conqueror  among  his  spoils. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  bees  were  very  much 
astonished  and  confused,  and  by  their  united  voices 
they  proclaimed  death  to  all  their  foes.  But  the  wary 
hunter  was  up  to  the  tricks  of  this  trade,  and,  like  a 
politician,  he  knew  how  easily  an  enraged  mob  could 
be  quelled  with  smoke ;  and  smoke  he  tried  until  his 
enemies  were  completely  destroyed.  We,  Tom's 
hangers-on,  now  approached  his  treasure.  It  was 
a  rich  one,  and,  as  he  observed,  "  contained  a  rich 
chance  of  plunder."  Nine  feet,  by  measurement,  of 
the  hollow  of  the  tree  was  full,  and  this  afforded  many 
pails  of  pure  honey.  Tom  was  liberal,  and  supplied 
us  all  with  more  than  we  wanted,  and  with  Sambo's 
help,  " toted"  his  share  to  his  own  home,  where  it 
was  soon  devoured  and  replaced  by  the  destruction 
of  another  tree  and  another  nation  of  bees. 


PART  V 
INDIANS 


57.    A    Little    Indian    Captive 

By  MRS.  JULIETTE  A.  KINZIE  (1779) 
I 

ON  a  bright  afternoon  in  the  autumn  of  1779,  two 
children  of  Mr.  Lytle,  a  girl  of  nine,  and  her  brother, 
two  years  younger,  were  playing  in  a  little  dingle  or 
hollow  in  the  rear  of  their  father's  house.  Some 
large  trees,  which  had  been  recently  felled,  were 
lying  here  and  there,  still  untrimmed  of  their 
branches,  and  many  logs,  prepared  for  fuel,  were 
scattered  around.  Upon  one  of  these  the  children, 
wearied  with  their  sports,  seated  themselves,  and  to 
beguile  the  time  they  fell  into  conversation  upon  a 
subject  that  greatly  perplexed  them. 

While  playing  in  the  same  place  a  few  hours  pre 
vious,  they  had  imagined  they  saw  an  Indian  lurking 
behind  one  of  the  fallen  trees.  The  Indians  of  the 
neighborhood  were  in  the  habit  of  making  occasional 
visits  to  the  family,  and  they  had  become  familiar 
and  even  affectionate  with  many  of  them,  but  this 
seemed  a  stranger,  and  after  the  first  hasty  glance 
they  fled  in  alarm  to  the  house. 


174  Indians  [NO.  57 

Their  mother  chid  them  for  the  report  they  brought, 
which  she  endeavored  to  convince  them  was  without 
foundation.  "You  know,"  said  she,  "you  are  always 
alarming  us  unnecessarily  —  the  neighbors'  children 
have  frightened  you  to  death.  Go  back  to  your  play 
and  learn  to  be  more  courageous." 

So  the  children  returned  to  their  sports,  hardly 
persuaded  by  their  mother's  arguments.  While  they 
were  thus  seated  upon  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  their 
discourse  was  interrupted  by  the  note,  apparently,  of 
a  quail  not  far  off. 

"  Listen,"  said  the  boy,  as  a  second  note  answered 
the  first,  "  do  you  hear  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  and  after  a  few  moments' 
silence,  "  do  you  not  hear  a  rustling  among  the 
branches  of  the  tree  yonder  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  it  is  a  squirrel  —  but  look  !  what  is  that  ? 
Surely  I  saw  something  red  among  the  branches.  It 
looked  like  a  fawn  popping  up  its  head." 

At  this  moment,  the  children  who  had  been 
gazing  so  intently  in  the  direction  of  the  fallen  tree 
that  all  other  objects  were  forgotten,  felt  themselves 
seized  from  behind  and  pinioned  in  an  iron  grasp. 
What  were  their  horror  and  dismay  to  find  them 
selves  in  the  arms  of  savages,  whose  terrific  coun 
tenances  and  gestures  plainly  showed  them  to  be 
enemies ! 

After  a  toilsome  and  painful  march  of  many  days, 
the  party  reached  the  Seneca  village,  upon  the  head 
waters  of  the  Allegany,  near  what  is  now  called 
Clean  Point.  On  their  arrival  the  chief,  their  con 
ductor,  who  was  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Big- 
White-Man,  led  his  prisoners  to  the  principal  lodge. 
This  was  occupied  by  his  mother,  the  widow  of  the 


NO.  57]          ^4  Little   Captive  175 

head-chief  of  that  band,  who  was  called  by  them  the 
Old  Queen. 

On  entering  her  presence,  her  son  presented  her 
the  little  girl,  saying : 

"My  mother  —  I  bring  you  a  child  to  supply  the 
place  of  my  brother,  who  was  killed  by  the  Lenape 
six  moons  ago.  She  shall  dwell  in  my  lodge,  and  be 
to  me  a  sister.  Treat  her  kindly  —  our  father  will 
give  us  many  horses  and  guns  to  buy  her  back 
again." 

The  Old  Queen  fulfilled  the  injunctions  of  her  son. 
She  received  the  prisoners,  and  every  comfort  was 
provided  them  that  her  simple  and  primitive  mode  of 
life  rendered  possible. 

A  treaty  was  immediately  entered  into  for  the  ran 
som  of  the  captives,  which  was  easily  accomplished 
in  regard  to  the  younger  child.  But  no  offers,  no 
entreaties,  no  promises,  could  procure  the  release  of 
the  little  Eleanor,  the  adopted  child  of  the  tribe. 
"  No,"  the  chief  said,  "  she  was  his  sister ;  he  had 
taken  her  to  supply  the  place  of  his  brother  who  was 
killed  by  the  enemy  —  she  was  dear  to  him,  and  he 
would  not  part  with  her." 

Finding  every  effort  unavailing  to  shake  this  reso 
lution,  the  father  was  at  length  compelled  to  take  his 
sorrowful  departure  with  such  of  his  beloved  ones  as 
he  had  had  the  good  fortune  to  recover. 

Time  rolled  on,  and  every  year  the  hope  of  recover 
ing  the  little  captive  became  more  faint.  She,  in  the 
meantime,  continued  to  wind  herself  more  and  more 
closely  around  the  heart  of  her  Indian  brother.  Noth 
ing  could  exceed  the  consideration  and  affection  with 
which  she  was  treated,  not  only  by  himself,  but  by  his 
mother,  the  Old  Queen.  All  their  stock  of  brooches 


176  Indians  [NO.  57 

and  wampum  was  employed  in  the  decoration  of  her 
person.  The  principal  seat  and  the  most  delicate 
viands  were  invariably  reserved  for  her,  and  no 
efforts  were  spared  to  promote  her  happiness,  and 
to  render  her  forgetful  of  her  former  home  and 
kindred. 

The  only  drawback  to  the  happiness  of  the  little 
prisoner,  aside  from  her  longings  after  her  own  dear 
home,  was  the  enmity  she  encountered  from  the  wife 
of  the  Big- White-Man.  This  woman,  from  the  day  of 
her  arrival  at  the  village,  and  adoption  into  the  family 
as  a  sister,  had  conceived  for  her  the  greatest  ani 
mosity,  which,  at  first,  she  had  the  prudence  to  con 
ceal  from  the  observation  of  her  husband. 

One  afternoon,  during  the  temporary  absence  of 
the  Old  Queen,  her  daughter-in-law  entered  the  lodge 
with  a  bowl  of  something  she  had  prepared,  and 
stooping  down  to  the  mat  on  which  the  child  lay, 
said,  in  an  affectionate  accent, 

"  Drink,  my  sister.  I  have  brought  you  that  which 
will  drive  this  fever  far  from  you." 

On  raising  her  head  tQ  reply,  the  little  girl  per 
ceived  a  pair  of  eyes  peeping  through  a  crevice  in 
the  lodge,  and  fixed  upon  her  with  a  very  peculiar 
and  significant  expression.  With  the  quick  percep 
tion  acquired  partly  from  nature,  and  partly  from  her 
intercourse  with  this  people,  she  replied  faintly, 

"  Set  it  down,  my  sister.  When  this  fit  of  the  fever 
has  passed,  I  will  drink  your  medicine." 

The  squaw,  too  cautious  to  use  importunity,  busied 
herself  about  in  the  lodge  for  a  short  time,  then  with 
drew  to  another,  near  at  hand.  Meantime,  the  bright 
eyes  continued  peering  through  the  opening,  until 
they  had  watched  their  object  fairly  out  of  sight,  then 


NO.  57]          A   Little    Captive  177 

a  low  voice,  the  voice  of  a  young  friend  and  play 
fellow,  spoke, 

"  Do  not  drink  that,  which  your  brother's  wife  has 
brought  you.  She  hates  you,  and  is  only  waiting  an 
opportunity  to  rid  herself  of  you.  I  have  watched 
her  all  the  morning,  and  have  seen  her  gathering  the 
most  deadly  herbs.  I  knew  for  whom  they  were 
intended,  and  came  hither  to  warn  you." 

"Take  the  bowl,"  said  the  little  invalid,  "and  carry 
it  to  my  mother's  lodge." 

This  was  accordingly  done.  The  contents  of  the 
bowl  were  found  to  consist  principally  of  a  decoction 
of  the  root  of  the  May-apple,  the  most  deadly  poison 
known  among  the  Indians. 

It  is  not  in  the  power  of  language  to  describe  the 
indignation  that  pervaded  the  little  community  when 
this  discovery  was  made  known.  The  squaws  ran  to 
and  fro,  as  is  their  custom  when  excited,  each  vying 
with  the  other  in  heaping  invectives  upon  the  culprit. 
No  further  punishment  was,  however,  for  the  present 
inflicted  upon  her,  but  the  first  burst  of  rage  over,  she 
was  treated  with  silent  abhorrence. 

The  little  patient  was  removed  to  the  lodge  of  the 
Old  Queen,  and  strictly  guarded,  while  her  enemy 
was  left  to  wander  in  silence  and  solitude  about  the 
fields  and  woods,  until  the  return  of  her  husband 
should  determine  her  punishment. 

In  a  few  days,  the  excursion  being  over,  the  Big- 
White-Man  and  his  party  returned  to  the  village. 
Contrary  to  the  usual  custom  of  savages,  he  did  not, 
in  his  first  transport  at  learning  the  attempt  on  the 
life  of  his  little  sister,  take  summary  vengeance  on 
the  offender.  He  contented  himself  with  banishing 
her  from  his  lodge,  never  to  return,  and  condemning 


i78 


Indians  [NO.  57 


her  to  hoe  corn  in  a  distant  part  of  the  large  field  or 
enclosure  which  served  the  whole  community  for  a 
garden. 

Although  she  would  still  show  her  vindictive  dis 
position  whenever,  by  chance,  the  little  girl  with  her 
companions  wandered  into  that  vicinity  by  striking 
at  her  with  her  hoe,  or  by  some  other  spiteful  mani 
festation,  yet  she  was  either  too  well  watched,  or 
stood  too  much  in  awe  of  her  former  husband  to 
repeat  the  attempt  upon  his  sister's  life. 

II 

Four  years  had  now  elapsed  since  the  capture  of 
little  Nelly.  Her  heart  was  by  nature  warm  and 
affectionate,  so  that  the  unbounded  tenderness  of 
those  she  dwelt  among  had  called  forth  a  correspond 
ing  feeling  of  affection  in  her  heart.  She  regarded 
the  Chief  and  his  mother  with  love  and  reverence, 
and  had  so  completely  learned  their  language  and 
customs  as  almost  to  have  forgotten  her  own. 

So  identified  had  she  become  with  the  tribe,  that 
the  remembrance  of  her  home  and  family  had  nearly 
faded  from  her  memory;  all  but  her  mother  —  her 
mother  whom  she  had  loved  with  a  strength  of  affec 
tion  natural  to  her  warm  and  ardent  character,  and 
to  whom  her  heart  still  clung  with  a  fondness  that 
no  time  or  change  could  destroy. 

The  peace  of  1783  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States  now  took  place.  A  general  pacifica 
tion  of  the  Indian  tribes  was  the  consequence,  and 
fresh  hopes  were  renewed  in  the  bosoms  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lytle. 

They  removed  with  their  family  to  Fort  Niagara, 


NO. 57]  A   Little    Captive  179 

near  which,  on  the  American  side,  was  the  great 
Council  Fire  of  the  Senecas.  Col.  Johnson  readily 
undertook  a  fresh  negotiation  with  the  Chief,  but  in 
order  to  ensure  every  chance  of  success,  he  again  pro 
ceeded  in  person  to  the  village  of  the  Big-White-Man. 

His  visit  was  most  opportune.  It  was  the  "  Feast 
of  the  Green  Corn,"  when  he  arrived  among  them. 
Every  one  appeared  in  his  gala  dress.  That  of  the 
little  adopted  child  consisted  of  a  petticoat  of  blue 
broadcloth,  bordered  with  gay-colored  ribbons  ;  a  sack 
or  upper  garment  of  black  silk,  ornamented  with 
three  rows  of  silver  brooches,  the  centre  ones  from 
the  throat  to  the  hem  being  of  large  size,  and  those 
from  the  shoulders  down  being  no  larger  than  a 
shilling-piece,  and  set  as  closely  as  possible.  Around 
her  neck  were  innumerable  strings  of  white  and  pur 
ple  wampum,  an  Indian  ornament  manufactured  from 
the  inner  surface  of  the  mussel-shell.  Her  hair  was 
clubbed  behind,  and  loaded  with  beads  of  various 
colors.  Leggings  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  moccasins  of 
deer-skin  embroidered  with  porcupine  quills,  com 
pleted  her  costume. 

Col.  Johnson  was  received  with  all  the  considera 
tion  due  to  his  position,  and  to  the  long  friendship 
that  had  subsisted  between  him  and  the  tribe.  The 
Chief  was  induced  to  promise  that  at  the  Grand 
Council  soon  to  be  held  at  Fort  Niagara  he  would 
attend,  bringing' his  little  sister  with  him. 

The  time  at  length  arrived  when,  her  heart  bound 
ing  with  joy,  little  Nelly  was  placed  on  horseback  to 
accompany  her  Indian  brother  to  the  great  Council  of 
the  Senecas.  She  had  promised  him  that  she  would 
never  leave  him  without  his  permission,  and  he  relied 
confidently  on  her  word  thus  given. 


i  8  o  Indians  [NO.  5s 

The  father  and  mother,  attended  by  all  the  officers 
and  ladies,  stood  upon  the  grassy  bank  awaiting  their 
approach.  They  had  seen  at  a  glance  that  the  little 
captive  was  with  them. 

The  Chief  held  his  darling  by  the  hand  until  the 
river  was  passed  —  until  the  boat  touched  the  bank  — 
until  the  child  sprang  forward  into  the  arms  of  the 
mother  from  whom  she  had  been  so  long  separated. 

When  the  Chief  witnessed  that  outburst  of  affection 
he  could  withstand  no  longer. 

"  She  shall  go,"  said  he.  "  The  mother  must  have 
her  child  again.  I  will  go  back  alone." 

With  one  silent  gesture  of  farewell  he  turned  and 
stepped  on  board  the  boat.  No  arguments  or  en 
treaties  could  induce  him  to  remain  at  the  council, 
but  having  gained  the  other  side  of  the  Niagara,  he 
mounted  his  horse,  and  with  his  young  men  was  soon 
lost  in  the  depths  of  the  forest. 

Little  Nelly  saw  her  friend  the  Chief  no  more,  but 
she  never  forgot  him.  To  the  day  of  her  death  she 
remembered  with  tenderness  and  gratitude  her  brother 
the  Big- White-Man,  and  her  friends  and  playfellows 
among  the  Senecas. 


58.    A  Scotchman    and   an    Indian 
Joke 

BY  HECTOR  ST.  JOHN  CREVECCEUR  (1782) 

A  FEW  days  after  it  happened  the  whole  family  of 
Mr.  Phillip  Rand  went  to  meeting,  and  left  Andrew 
to  take  care  of  the  house.  While  he  was  at  the  door, 
attentively  reading  the  Bible,  nine  Indians  just  come 


NO.  58]  Indian  Joke  i  8  i 

from  the  mountains,  suddenly  made  their  appearance, 
and,  unloaded  their  packs  of  furs  on  the  floor  of  the 
piazza.  Conceive,  if  you 
can,  what  was  Andrew's 
consternation  at  this  ex 
traordinary  sight !  From 
the  singular  appearance  of 
these  people,  the  honest 
Hebridean  took  them  for 
a  lawless  band  come  to 
rob  his  master's  house. 

He  therefore,  like  a  faith-         A  CRILD,S  MOCCASINS- 
ful  guardian,  precipitately 

withdrew,  and  shut  the  doors ;  but  as  most  of  our 
houses  are  without  locks,  he  was  reduced  to  the 
necessity  of  fixing  his  knife  over  the  latch,  and  then 
flew  up  stairs  in  quest  of  a  broad  sword  he  had  brought 
from  Scotland.  The  Indians,  who  were  particular 
friends  of  the  family,  guessed  at  his  suspicions  and 
fears  ;  they  forcibly  lifted  the  door,  and  suddenly  took 
possession  of  the  house,  got  all  the  bread  and  meat 
they  wanted,  and  sat  themselves  down  by  the  fire. 

At  this  instant  Andrew,  with  his  broad  sword  in 
his  hand,  entered  the  room  ;  the  Indians  earnestly 
looking  at  him,  and  attentively  watching  his  motions. 
After  a  very  few  reflections,  Andrew  found  that  his 
weapon  was  useless,  when  opposed  to  nine  toma 
hawks  ;  but  this  did  not  diminish  his  anger ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  grew  greater  on  observing  the  calm  im 
pudence  with  which  they  were  devouring  the  family 
provisions.  Unable  to  resist,  he  called  them  names 
in  broad  Scotch,  and  ordered  them  to  desist  and  be 
gone  ;  to  which  the  Indians  (as  they  told  me  after 
wards)  replied  in  their  equally  broad  idiom.  It  must 


i  8  2  Indians  [NO.  5s 

have  been  a  most  unintelligible  altercation  between 
this  honest  Barra  man,  and  nine  Indians  who  did  not 
much  care  for  anything  he  could  say.  At  last  he 
ventured  to  lay  his  hands  on  one  of  them,  in  order  to 
turn  him  out  of  the  house.  Here  Andrew's  fidelity 
got  the  better  of  his  prudence  ;  for  the  Indian,  by  his 
motions,  threatened  to  scalp  him,  while  the  rest  gave 
the  warwhoop.  This  horrid  noise  so  effectually  fright 
ened  poor  Andrew,  that,  unmindful  of  his  courage, 
of  his  broad  sword,  and  his  intentions,  he  rushed  out, 
left  them  masters  of  the  house,  and  disappeared.  I 
have  heard  one  of  the  Indians  say  since,  that  he  never 
laughed  so  heartily  in  his  life. 

Andrew  at  a  distance,  soon  recovered  from  the 
fears  which  had  been  inspired  by  this  infernal  yell, 
and  thought  of  no  other  remedy  than  to  go  to  the 
meeting-house,  which  was  about  two  miles  distant. 
In  the  eagerness  of  his  honest  intentions,  with  looks 
of  affright  still  marked  on  his  countenance,  he  called 
Mr.  Rand  out,  and  told  him  with  great  vehemence  of 
style,  that  nine  monsters  were  come  to  his  house  — 
some  blue,  some  red,  and  some  black ;  that  they  had 
little  axes  in  their  hands  out  of  which  they  smoked ; 
and  that  like  highlanders,  they  had  no  breeches  ;  that 
they  were  devouring  all  his  victuals,  and  that  God 
only  knew  what  they  would  do  more.  "  Pacify  your 
self,"  said  Mr.  Rand,  "my  house  is  as  safe  with  these 
people,  as  if  I  was  there  myself  ;  as  for  the  victuals, 
they  are  heartily  welcome,  honest  Andrew  ;  they  are 
not  people  of  much  ceremony  ;  they  help  themselves 
thus  whenever  they  are  among  their  friends  ;  I  do 
so  too  in  their  wigwams,  whenever  I  go  to  their 
village  :  you  had  better  therefore  step  in  and  hear 
the  remainder  of  the  sermon,  and  when  the  meet- 


NO.  59]  Puc-  Puggy  183 

ing   is   over   we   will    all    go    back    in    the   wagon 
together." 

At  their  return,  Mr.  Rand,  who  speaks  the  Indian 
language  very  well,  explained  the  whole  matter ;  the 
Indians  renewed  their  laugh,  and  shook  hands  with 
honest  Andrew,  whom  they  made  to  smoke  out  of  their 
pipes ;  and  thus  peace  was  made,  and  ratified  accord 
ing  to  the  Indian  custom,  by  the  calumet. 


59.    Puc-Puggy   and    the    Rattle 
snake 

BY  WILLIAM  BARTRAM  (1791) 

I  WAS  in  the  forenoon  busy  in  my  apartment  in  the 
council-house,  drawing  some  curious  flowers  ;  when, 
on  a  sudden,  my  attention  was  taken  off  by  a  tumult 
without,  at  the  Indian  camp.  I  stepped  to  the  door 
opening  to  the  piazza,  where  I  met  my  friend  the  old 
interpreter,  who  informed  me  that  there  was  a  very 
large  rattlesnake  in  the  Indian  camp,  which  had  taken 
possession  of  it,  having  driven  the  men,  women  and 
children  out,  and  he  heard  them  saying  that  they 
would  send  for  Puc-Puggy  (for  that  was  the  name 
which  they  had  given  me,  signifying  "  the  Flower 
Hunter  ")  to  kill  him  or  take  him  out  of  their  camp. 
I  answered  that  I  desired  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
him,  fearing  some  disagreeable  consequences.  My 
old  friend  turned  about  to  carry  my  answer  to  the 
Indians.  I  presently  heard  them  approaching  and 
calling  for  Puc-Puggy.  Starting  up  to  escape  from  their 
sight  by  a  back  door,  a  party  consisting  of  three  young 


184  Indians  [NO.  59 

fellows,  richly  dressed  and  ornamented,  stepped  in, 
and  requested  me  to  accompany  them  to  their  en 
campment.  I  desired  them  to  excuse  me  at  this 
time ;  they  pleaded  and  entreated  me  to  go  with 
them,  in  order  to  free  them  from  a  great  rattlesnake 
which  had  entered  their  camp.  They  said  that  none 
of  them  had  freedom  or  courage  to  expel  him  ;  and 
they  understood  that  it  was  my  pleasure  to  collect  all 
their  animals  and  other  natural  productions  of  their 
land.  Therefore  they  desired  that  I  would  come  with 
them  and  take  him  away  ;  I  was  welcome  to  him, 
they  added.  I  at  length  consented  and  attended 
them  to  their  encampment,  where  I  beheld  the 
Indians  greatly  disturbed. 

The  men  with  sticks  and  tomahawks,  and  the 
women  and  children  were  collected  together  at  a 
distance  in  fright  and  trepidation,  while  the  dreaded 
and  revered  serpent  leisurely  traversed  their  camp, 
visiting  the  fireplaces  from  one  to  another,  picking 
up  fragments  of  their  provisions  and  licking  their 
platters.  The  men  gathered  around  me,  exciting  me 
to  remove  him  ;  being  armed  with  a  lightwood  knot, 
I  approached  the  reptile,  who  instantly  collected  him 
self  in  a  vast  coil  (their  attitude  of  defence).  I  cast 
my  missile  weapon  at  him,  which,  luckily  taking  his 
head,  despatched  him  instantly,  and  laid  him  trem 
bling  at  my  feet.  I  took  out  my  knife,  severed  his 
head  from  his  body.  Then  I  turned  about,  and  the 
Indians  complimented  me  with  every  demonstration 
of  satisfaction  and  approbation  for  my  heroism  and 
friendship  for  them.  I  carried  off  the  head  of  the 
serpent  bleeding  in  my  hand  as  a  trophy  of  victory, 
took  out  the  mortal  fangs,  and  deposited  them  care 
fully  amongst  my  collections. 


NO.  59]  Puc-Puggy  185 

I  had  not  been  long  retired  to  my  apartment,  be 
fore  I  was  again  roused  from  it  by  a  tumult  in  the 
yard.  Puc-Puggy  was  called  on,  so  I  started  up,  when 
instantly  the  old  interpreter  met  me  again,  and  told 
me  the  Indians  were  approaching  in  order  to  scratch 
me.  I  asked  him  for  what  ?  He  answered,  for  kill 
ing  the  rattlesnake  within  their  camp.  Before  I  could 
make  any  reply  or  effect  my  escape,  three  young  fel 
lows  singing,  arm  in  arm,  came  up  to  me.  I  observed 
one  of  the  three  was  a  young  prince  who  had,  on  my 
first  interview  with  him,  declared  himself  my  friend 
and  protector,  and  told  me  that  if  ever  occasion  should 
offer  in  his  presence,  he  would  risk  his  life  to  defend 
mine  or  my  property.  This  young  champion  stood 
by  his  two  associates,  one  on  each  side  of  him.  They 
affected  a  countenance  and  air  of  displeasure  and  im 
portance,  instantly  presented  their  scratching  instru 
ments,  and  flourishing  them,  spoke  boldly,  and  said  that 
I  was  too  heroic  and  violent,  that  it  would  be  good  for 
me  to  lose  some  of  my  blood  to  make  me  more  mild 
and  tame  ;  for  that  purpose  they  were  come  to  scratch 
me.  They  gave  me  no  time  to  expostulate  or  reply, 
but  attempted  to  lay  hold  on  me.  I  resisted;  and 
my  friend,  the  young  prince,  interposed  and  pushed 
them  off,  saying  that  I  was  a  brave  warrior  and  his 
friend  and  they  should  not  insult  me,  whereupon 
instantly  they  altered  their  countenance  and  behavior. 
They  all  whooped  in  chorus,  took  me  by  the  hand, 
clapped  me  on  the  shoulder,  and  laid  their  hands  on 
their  breasts  in  token  of  sincere  friendship,  and  laugh 
ing  aloud,  said  I  was  a  sincere  friend  to  the  Seminoles, 
a  worthy  and  brave  warrior,  and  that  no  one  should 
hereafter  attempt  to  injure  me.  Then  all  three  joined 
arm  in  arm  again  and  went  off  shouting  and  pro- 


i  8  6  Indians  [NO.  59 

claiming  Puc-Puggy  was  their  friend.  Thus  it  seemed 
that  the  whole  was  a  ludicrous  farce  to  satisfy  their 
people  and  appease  the  manes  of  the  dead  rattlesnake. 
These  people  never  kill  the  rattlesnake  or  any  other 
serpent,  because  if  they  do  so,  as  they  believe,  the 
spirit  of  the  killed  snake  will  excite  or  influence  his 
living  kindred  or  relatives  to  revenge  the  injury  or 
violence  done  to  him  when  alive. 

In  my  youth,  attending  my  father  on  a  journey  to 
the  Catskill  Mountains,  in  New  York,  I  had  gained 
the  summit  of  a  steep  rocky  precipice,  ahead  of  our 
guide,  and  was  just  entering  a  shady  vale,  when  I  saw 
at  the  root  of  a  small  shrub,  a  singular  and  beautiful 
appearance,  which  I  remember  to  be  a  large  kind  of 
fungus  called  Jews'  ears.  I  was  just  drawing  back 
my  foot  to  kick  it  over,  when  at  the  instant,  my  father 
being  near,  cried  out,  "  A  rattlesnake,  my  son  !  "  and 
jerked  me  back,  which  probably  saved  my  life.  I 
had  never  before  seen  one.  This  was  of  the  kind 
which  our  guide  called  a  yellow  one ;  it  was  very 
beautiful,  speckled  and  clouded.  My  father  pleaded 
for  his  life,  but  our  guide  was  inexorable,  saying  he 
never  spared  the  life  of  a  rattlesnake,  and  killed  him ; 
my  father  took  his  skin  and  fangs. 

Some  years  after  this,  when  again  in  company  with 
my  father  on  a  journey  into  East  Florida,  I  attended 
him  on  a  botanical  excursion.  Some  time  after  we 
had  been  rambling  in  a  swamp  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  camp,  I  was  ahead  a  few  paces,  and 
my  father  bade  me  observe  the  rattlesnake  before  my 
feet.  I  stopped  and  saw  the  monster  formed  in  a 
high  spiral  coil,  not  half  his  length  from  my  feet : 
another  step  forward  would  have  put  my  life  in  his 
power,  as  I  must  have  touched  if  not  stumbled  over 


NO.  60]        Escape  from   Indians        187 

him.  I  instantly  cut  off  a  little  sapling  and  soon 
despatched  him  :  this  serpent  was  about  six  feet  in 
length,  and  as  think  as  an  ordinary  man's  leg.  I  cut 
off  a  long  tough  withe  or  vine,  fastened  it  round  the 
neck  of  the  slain  serpent,  and  dragged  him  after  me, 
his  scaly  body  sounding  over  the  ground,  entered  the 
camp  with  him  in  triumph,  and  was  soon  surrounded 
by  the  amazed  multitude,  both  Indians  and  my  coun 
trymen.  The  adventure  soon  reached  the  ears  of 
the  commander,  who  sent  an  officer  to  request  that, 
if  the  snake  had  not  bit  himself,  he  might  have  him 
served  up  for  his  dinner.  I  readily  delivered  up  the 
body  of  the  snake  to  the  cooks,  and  being  that  day 
invited  to  dine  at  the  governor's  table,  saw  the  snake 
served  up  in  several  dishes  ;  Governor  Grant  was 
fond  of  the  flesh  of  the  rattlesnake.  I  tasted  of  it 
but  could  not  swallow  it.  This  dreaded  animal  is 
easily  killed  ;  a  stick  no  thicker  than  a  man's  thumb 
is  sufficient  to  kill  the  largest  at  one  stroke,  if  well 
directed,  either  on  the  head  or  across  the  back.  They 
cannot  make  their  escape  by  running  off,  nor  indeed 
do  they  attempt  it  when  attacked. 


60.    Hewit's    Escape   from   the 
Indians 

BY   HENRY   HOWE  (1792) 

SOMETIME  in  the  month  of  May,  1792,  while  living 
at  Neil's  station,  on  the  little  Kenawha,  Mr.  Hewit 
rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  out  about  a  mile 
from  the  garrison  in  search  of  a  stray  horse,  little 


i88 


IndL 


lans 


[No.  60 


expecting  any  Indians  to  be  near,  for  he  had  heard 
of  none  in  that  vicinity  for  some  time.  He  was 
sauntering  along  at  his  ease,  in  an  obscure  cattle 
path,  thinking  more  of  his  stray  animal  than  of 
danger,  when  all  at  once  three  Indians  sprang  from 
behind  two  large  trees,  that  stood  one  on  each  side 
of  the  track,  where  they  had  been  watching  his 


INDIAN   PLAYING   CARDS. 

approach.  So  sudden  was  the  onset,  and  so  com 
pletely  was  he  in  their  grasp,  that  resistance  was 
vain,  and  would  probably  have  been  the  cause  of 
his  death.  He  therefore  quietly  surrendered,  think 
ing  that  in  a  few  days  he  should  find  some  way  of 
escape.  For  himself,  he  felt  but  little  uneasiness ; 
his  great  concern  was  for  his  wife  and  child,  from 
whom,  with  the  yearnings  of  a  father's  heart,  he 


NO.  60]        Escape  from   Indians        189 

was  thus  forcibly  separated,  and  whom  he  might 
never  see  again. 

In  their  progress  to  the  towns  on  the  Sandusky 
plains,  the  Indians  treated  their  prisoner,  Hewit, 
with  as  little  harshness  as  could  be  expected.  He 
was  always  confined  at  night  by  fastening  his  wrists 
and  ankles  to  saplings,  as  he  lay  extended  upon  his 
back  upon  the  ground,  with  an  Indian  on  each  side. 
By  day  his  limbs  were  free,  but  he  always  marched 
with  one  Indian  before,  and  two  behind  him.  As 
they  approached  the  prairies,  frequent  halts  were 
made  to  search  for  honey,  for  the  wild  bee  could 
be  found  in  astonishing  numbers  in  every  hollow 
tree,  and  often  in  the  ground  beneath  decayed  roots. 
This  afforded  them  many  luscious  repasts,  of  which 
the  prisoner  was  allowed  to  partake.  The  coming 
of  the  European  honey  bee  to  the  forests  of  North 
America,  since  its  colonization  by  the  whites,  is,  in 
fact,  the  only  real  addition  to  its  comforts  that  the 
red  man  has  ever  received  from  the  destroyer  of 
his  race ;  and  this  industrious  insect,  so  fond  of 
the  society  of  man,  seems  also  destined  to  destruc 
tion  by  the  bee  moth,  and  like  the  buffalo  and  the 
deer,  will  soon  vanish  from  the  woods  and  the 
prairies  of  the  West. 

While  the  Indians  were  occupied  in  these  searches, 
Hewit  closely  watched  an  opportunity  for  escape,  but 
his  captors  were  equally  vigilant.  As  they  receded 
from  the  danger  of  pursuit,  they  were  less  hurried  in 
their  march,  and  often  stopped  to  hunt  and  amuse 
themselves.  The  level  prairie  afforded  fine  ground 
for  one  of  their  favorite  sports,  the  foot  race.  In  this, 
Hewit  was  invited  to  join,  and  soon  found  that  he 
could  easily  outrun  two  of  them,  but  the  other  was 


i  go  Indians  [NO.  60 

more  than  his  match,  which  discouraged  him  from 
trying  to  escape,  until  a  more  favorable  opportunity. 
They  treated  him  familiarly,  and  were  much  pleased 
with  his  lively,  cheerful  manners.  After  they  had 
come  within  one  or  two  day's  march  of  their  village, 
they  made  a  halt  to  hunt,  and  although  they  had 
usually  taken  him  with  them,  they  left  their  prisoner 
at  their  camp,  as  he  complained  of  being  sick.  To 
make  all  safe,  they  placed  him  on  his  back,  and  fast 
ened  his  wrists  with  stout  thongs  of  raw-hide  to 
saplings,  and  tied  his  legs  to  a  small  tree.  After 
they  had  been  gone  a  short  time,  he  began  to  put 
in  operation  the  plan  he  had  been  meditating  for 
escape,  trusting  that  the  thickness  of  his  wrists,  in 
comparison  with  the  smallness  of  his  hands,  would 
enable  him  to  withdraw  them  from  the  ligatures. 
After  long  and  violent  exertions,  he  succeeded  in 
liberating  his  hands,  but  not  without  severely  lacer 
ating  the  skin  and  covering  them  with  blood.  His 
legs  were  next  freed  by  untying  them,  but  not  with 
out  a  great  effort. 

Once  fairly  at  liberty,  the  first  object  was  to  secure 
some  food  for  the  long  journey  which  was  before 
him.  As  the  Indian's  larder  is  seldom  well  stocked, 
with  all  his  search  he  could  only  find  two  small  pieces 
of  jerked  venison,  not  more  than  sufficient  for  a  single 
meal.  With  this  light  stock  of  provision,  his  body 
nearly  unclothed,  and  without  even  a  knife  or  a  toma 
hawk,  to  assist  in  procuring  more  food,  he  started  for 
the  settlements  on  the  Muskingum,  as  the  nearest 
point  where  he  could  meet  with  friends.  It  seems 
that  the  Indians  returned  to  the  camp  soon  after  his 
escape,  for  that  night,  while  cautiously  traversing  a 
wood,  he  heard  the  crackling  of  a  breaking  twig  not 


NO.  6oj        Escape  from   Indians        i  g  i 

far  from  him.  Dropping  silently  on  to  the  ground 
where  he  stood,  he  beheld  his  three  enemies  in  pur 
suit.  To  say  that  he  was  not  agitated,  would  not  be 
true  ;  his  senses  were  wide  awake,  and  his  heart  beat 
quick,  but  it  was  a  heart  that  never  knew  fear.  It  so 
happened  that  they  passed  a  few  yards  to  one  side  of 
him,  and  he  remained  unseen.  As  soon  as  they  were 
at  a  sufficient  distance,  he  altered  his  course,  and  saw 
no  more  of  them. 

Suffering  everything  but  death  from  the  exhaust 
ing  effects  of  hunger  and  fatigue,  after  nine  days  he 
struck  the  waters  of  the  Big  Muskingum,  and  came 
into  the  garrison  at  Wolf  Creek  Mills.  During  this 
time  he  had  no  food  but  roots  and  the  bark  of  the 
slippery-elm  after  the  two  bits  of  venison  were  ex 
pended.  When  he  came  in  sight  of  the  station,  he 
was  so  completely  exhausted  that  he  could  not  stand 
or  halloo.  Torn,  bloody  and  disfigured,  by  the  briers 
and  brush,  he  thought  it  imprudent  to  show  himself, 
lest  he  should  be  taken  for  an  Indian,  and  shot  by 
the  sentries.  In  this  forlorn  state  Hewit  remained 
until  evening,  when  he  crawled  silently  to  the  gate 
way,  which  was  open,  and  crept  in  before  any  one 
was  aware  of  his  being  near.  As  they  all  had  heard 
of  his  capture,  and  some  personally  knew  him,  he 
was  instantly  recognized  by  a  young  man,  as  the 
light  of  the  fire  fell  on  his  face,  who  exclaimed, 
"  Here  is  Hewit."  They  soon  clothed  and  fed  him, 
and  his  fine  constitution  directly  restored  his  health. 


i  g  2  Indians  [NO.  ei 

6 1.    The   Indian   and   the   Tide 

BY  ISAAC  WELD  (1796) 

THE  young  Wyandot,  whom  I  before  mentioned, 
as  having  made  such  a  wonderful  day's  journey  on 
foot,  happened  to  be  at  Philadelphia  when  I  was 
there.  He  appeared  highly  delighted  with  the 
river,  and  the  great  number  of  ships  of  all  sizes  upon 
it ;  but  the  tide  attracted  his  attention  more  than  any 
thing  else  whatsoever.  On  coming  to  the  river  the 
first  day  he  looked  up  at  the  sun,  and  made  certain 
observations  upon  the  course  of  the  stream,  and  gen 
eral  situation  of  the  place,  as  the  Indians  never  fail 
to  do  on  coming  to  any  new  or  remarkable  spot. 
The  second  time,  however,  he  went  down  to  the 
water,  he  found  to  his  surprise  that  the  river  was 
running  with  equal  rapidity  in  a  contrary  direction  to 
what  he  had  seen  it  run  the  day  before.  For  a  mo 
ment  he  imagined  that  by  some  mistake  he  must  have 
got  to  the  opposite  side  of  it ;  but  he  soon  recol 
lected  himself,  and  being  persuaded  that  he  stood  on 
the  very  same  spot  from  whence  he  had  viewed  it  the 
day  before,  his  astonishment  became  great  indeed. 

To  obtain  information  upon  such  an  interesting 
point,  he  immediately  sought  out  an  aid-de-camp  of 
General  Wayne,  who  had  brought  him  to  town.  This 
gentleman,  however,  only  rendered  the  appearance 
still  more  mysterious  to  him,  by  telling  him,  that 
the  great  spirit,  for  the  convenience  of  the  white  men, 
who  were  his  particular  favourites,  had  made  the 
rivers  in  their  country  to  run  two  ways.  The  poor 
Wyandot  was  satisfied  with  the  answer,  and  replied, 
"  Ah,  my  friend,  if  the  great  spirit  would  make  the 


NO. 62]  TecumseKs   Speech  193 

Ohio  to  run  two  ways  for  us,  we  should  very  often 
pay  you  a  visit  at  Pittsburgh."  During  his  stay  at 
Philadelphia  he  never  failed  to  visit  the  river  every 
day. 


62.    Speech   of  Tecumseh 

BY  TECUMSEH  (1813) 

FATHER, 
Listen  to 
your  chil 
dren  !  —  You 
have  them 
now  all  be 
fore  you.  In 
the  war  be 
fore  this,  our 
British  father 
gave  the 
hatchet  to  his 
red  children, 
when  our  old 
chiefs  were 
alive.  They 
are  now  dead. 
In  that  war, 
our  father 
was  thrown 
on  his  back 
by  the  Ameri 
cans,  and  our 

father  took  them  by  the  hand  without  our  knowledge ; 

and  we  are  afraid  that  our  father  will  do  so  again  at 


AN  INDIAN  CHIEF. 
(RED  JACKET.) 


194  Indians  [NO.  e2 

this  time.  Summer  before  last,  when  I  came  forward 
with  my  red  brethren,  and  was  ready  to  take  up  the 
hatchet  in  favour  of  our  British  father,  we  were  told 
not  to  be  in  a  hurry  —  that  he  had  not  yet  determined 
to  fight  the  Americans. 

Listen  !  —  When  war  was  declared,  our  father 
stood  up  and  gave  us  the  tomahawk,  and  told  us  that 
he  was  now  ready  to  strike  the  Americans  :  that  he 
wanted  our  assistance;  and  that  he  would  certainly 
get  us  our  lands  back  which  the  Americans  had  taken 
from  us. 

Listen  !  —  You  told  us  that  time,  to  bring  forward 
our  families  to  this  place  ;  and  we  did  so,  and  you 
promised  to  take  care  of  them,  and  that  they  should 
want  for  nothing,  while  the  men  would  go  and  fight 
the  enemy ;  that  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about 
the  enemy's  garrisons ;  that  we  knew  nothing  about 
them ;  and  that  our  father  would  attend  to  that  part 
of  the  business.  You  also  told  your  red  children  that 
you  would  take  good  care  of  their  garrison  here,  which 
made  their  hearts  glad. 

Listen  !  —  When  we  went  last  to  the  Rapids,  it  is 
true  we  gave  you  assistance.  It  is  hard  to  fight 
people  who  live  like  ground  hogs. 

Listen  Father  !  —  Our  fleet  has  gone  out  —  we 
know  they  have  fought — we  have  heard  the  great 
guns,  but  know  nothing  of  what  has  happened  to  our 
father  with  one  arm.  Our  troops  have  gone  one  way, 
and  we  are  very  much  astonished  to  see  our  father 
tying  up  every  thing  and  preparing  to  run  away  the 
other,  without  letting  his  red  children  know  what  his 
intentions  are.  You  always  told  us  to  remain  here, 
and  take  care  of  our  lands  ;  it  made  our  hearts  glad 
to  hear  that  was  your  wish.  Our  great  father,  the 


NO.  62]  Tecumse/is   Speech  195 

king,  is  the  head,  and  you  represent  him.  You 
always  told  us,  that  you  would  never  draw  your  foot 
off  British  ground ;  but  now,  father,  we  see  you  are 
drawing  back,  and  we  are  sorry  to  see  our  father  do 
ing  so,  without  seeing  the  enemy.  We  must  compare 
our  father's  conduct  to  a  fat  animal,  that  carries  its 
tail  upon  its  back,  but  when  affrighted,  it  drops  it 
between  its  legs,  and  runs  off. 

Listen  Father  !  —  The  Americans  have  not  yet 
defeated  us  by  land  ;  neither  are  we  sure  that  they 
have  done  so  by  water :  we  therefore  wish  to  remain 
here,  and  fight  our  enemy,  should  they  make  their 
appearance.  If  they  defeat  us,  we  will  then  retreat 
with  our  father. 

At  the  battle  of  the  Rapids,  in  the  last  war,  the 
Americans  certainly  defeated  us ;  and  when  we  re 
treated  to  our  father's  fort,  at  that  place,  the  gates 
were  shut  against  us.  We  were  afraid  that  it  would 
now  be  the  case,  but  instead  of  that,  we  see  our  Brit 
ish  father  preparing  to  march  out  of  his  garrison. 

Father  !  —  You  have  got  the  arms  and  ammunition 
which  the  great  father  sent  for  his  red  children.  If 
you  have  any  idea  of  going  away,  give  them  to  us 
and  you  may  go  and  welcome  for  us.  Our  lives  are 
in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Spirit  —  we  are  determined 
to  defend  our  lands,  and  if  it  is  his  will,  we  wish  to 
leave  our  bones  upon  them. 


i  9  6  Indians  [NO.  63 

63.    How   Indians   Write 

BY  JOHN  HECKEWELDER  (1818) 

THE  Indians  do  not  possess  our  art  of  writing  ;  they 
have  no  alphabets,  nor  any  mode  of  representing  to 
the  eye  the  sounds  of  words  spoken,  yet  they  have 
certain  hieroglyphics,  by  which  they  describe  facts 
in  so  plain  a  manner,  that  those  who  are  familiar 
with  those  marks  can  understand  them  with  the  great 
est  ease,  as  easily,  indeed,  as  we  can  understand  a 
piece  of  writing.  For  instance,  on  a  piece  of  bark, 
or  on  a  large  tree  with  the  bark  taken  off  for  the 
purpose,  by  the  side  of  a  path,  they  can  and  do  give 
every  necessary  information  to  those  who  come  by 
the  same  way  ;  they  will  in  that  manner  let  them 
know,  that  they  were  a  war  party  of  so  many  men, 
from  such  a  place,  of  such  a  nation  and  such  a  tribe ; 
how  many  of  each  tribe  were  in  the  party  ;  to  which 
tribe  the  chief  or  captain  belonged  ;  in  what  direction 
they  proceeded  to  meet  the  enemy ;  how  many  days 
they  were  out  and  how  many  returning  ;  what  num 
ber  of  the  enemy  they  had  killed,  how  many  prisoners 
they  had  brought ;  how  many  scalps  they  had  taken  ; 
whether  they  had  lost  any  of  their  party,  and  how 
many;  what  enemies  they  had  met  with,  and  how 
many  they  consisted  of ;  of  what  nation  or  tribe  their 
captain  was  ;  all  which,  at  a  single  glance,  is  perfectly 
well  understood  by  them.  In  the  same  manner  they 
describe  a  chase  :  all  Indian  nations  can  do  this, 
although  they  have  not  all  the  same  marks ;  yet  I 
have  seen  the  Delawares  read  with  ease  the  drawings 
of  the  Chippeways,  Mingoes,  Shawanos,  and  Wyan- 
dots,  on  similar  subjects. 


NO.  63j  Writings  197 

While  Indians  are  travelling  to  the  place  of  their 
destination,  whether  it  be  on  a  journey  to  their  distant 
hunting  grounds  or  on  a  war  excursion,  some  of  the 
young  men  are  sent  out  to  hunt  by  the  way,  who, 
when  they  have  killed  a  deer,  bear,  or  other  animal, 
bring  it  to  the  path,  ready  to  be  taken  away  by  those 
who  are  coming  along  (often  with  horses)  to  the 
place  of  encampment,  when  they  all  meet  at  night. 
Having  hung  up  the  meat  by  the  side  of  the  path, 
these  young  men  make  a  kind  of  sun-dial,  in  order 
to  inform  those  who  are  coming  of  the  time  of  day 
it  was  at  the  time  of  their  arrival  and  departure.  A 
clear  place  in  the  path  is  sought  for,  and  if  not 
readily  found,  one  is  made  by  the  side  of  it,  and  a 
circle  or  ring  being  drawn  on  the  sand  or  earth,  a 
stick  of  about  two  or  three  feet  in  length  is  fixed  in 
the  centre,  with  its  upper  end  bent  towards  that  spot 
in  the  horizon  where  the  sun  stood  at  the  time  of 
their  arrival  or  departure.  If  both  are  to  be  noted 
down,  two  separate  sticks  are  set ;  but  generally  one 
is  sufficient,  namely,  for  the  time  of  departure. 

Hunters  have  particular  marks,  which  they  make 
on  the  trees,  where  they  strike  off  from  the  path  to 
their  hunting  grounds  or  place  of  encampment,  which 
is  often  at  the  distance  of  many  miles  ;  yet  the  women, 
who  come  from  their  towns  to  fetch  meat  from  these 
camps,  will  as  readily  find  them  as  if  they  were  con 
ducted  to  the  spot. 

I  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  anecdote, 
which  will  at  once  show  how  expressive  and  energetic 
is  this  hieroglyphic  writing  of  the  Indians.  A  white 
man  in  the  Indian  country,  saw  a  Shawanos  riding 
a  horse  which  he  recognised  for  his  own,  and  claimed 
it  from  him  as  his  property.  The  Indian  calmly 


i  9  8  Indians  [NO.  64 

answered,  "  Friend  !  after  a  little  while,  I  will  call 
on  you  at  your  house,  when  we  shall  talk  of  this 
matter."  A  few  days  afterwards,  the  Indian  came 
to  the  white  man's  house,  who  insisting  on  having 
his  horse  restored,  the  other  then  told  him  :  "  Friend  ! 
the  horse  which  you  claim  belonged  to  my  uncle  who 
lately  died ;  according  to  the  Indian  custom,  I  have 
become  heir  to  all  his  property."  The  white  man 
not  being  satisfied,  and  renewing  his  demand,  the 
Indian  immediately  took  a  coal  from  the  fire-place, 
and  made  two  striking  figures  on  the  door  of  the 
house,  the  one  representing  the  white  man  taking 
the  horse,  and  the  other,  himself,  in  the  act  of  scalp 
ing  him  ;  then  he  coolly  asked  the  trembling  claimant 
"  whether  he  could  read  this  Indian  writing  ?  "  The 
matter  thus  was  settled  at  once,  and  the  Indian  rode 
off. 


64.    How   the   Indians   talk   to    the 
Animals 

BY  JOHN  HECKEWELDER  (1818) 

I  FOUND  that  the  Indians  paid  great  respect  to  the 
rattle-snake,  whom  they  called  their  grandfather,  and 
would  on  no  account  destroy  him.  One  day,  as  I 
was  walking  with  an  elderly  Indian  on  the  banks  of 
the  Muskingum,  I  saw  a  large  rattle-snake  lying 
across  the  path,  which  I  was  going  to  kill.  The 
Indian  immediately  forbade  my  doing  so ;  "  for," 
said  he,  "the  rattle-snake  is  grandfather  to  the 
Indians,  and  is  placed  here  on  purpose  to  guard  us, 
and  to  give  us  notice  of  impending  danger  by  his 


NO.  64j  Talk   to   Animals 


99 


rattle,  which  is  the  same  as  if  he  were  to  tell  us, 
'look  about!'  Now,"  added  he,  "if  he  were  to  kill 
one  of  those,  the  others  would  soon  know  it,  and  the 
whole  race  would  rise  upon  us  and  bite  us."  I  ob 
served  to  him  that  the  white  people  were  not  afraid 
of  this  ;  for  they  killed  all  the  rattle-snakes  that  they 
met  with.  On  this  he  enquired  whether  any  white 
man  had  been  bitten  by  these  animals,  and  of  course, 
I  answered  in  the  affirmative.  "  No  wonder,  then !  " 
replied  he,  "  you  have  to  blame  yourselves  for  that ! 
you  did  as  much  as  declaring  war  against  them,  and 
you  will  find  them  in  your  country,  where  they  will 
not  fail  to  make  frequent  incursions.  They  are  a 
very  dangerous  enemy  ;  take  care  you  do  not  irritate 
them  in  our  country  ;  they  and  their  grandchildren 
are  on  good  terms,  and  neither  will  hurt  the  other." 

These  ancient  notions  have,  however,  in  a  great 
measure  died  away  with  the  last  generation,  and  the 
Indians  at  present  kill  their  grandfather  the  rattle 
snake  without  ceremony,  whenever  they  meet  with 
him. 

That  the  Indians,  from  the  earliest  times,  consid 
ered  themselves  in  a  manner  connected  with  certain 
animals,  is  evident  from  various  customs  still  pre 
served  among  them,  and  from  the  names  of  those 
animals  which  they  have  collectively,  as  well  as  in 
dividually,  assumed.  It  might,  indeed,  be  supposed 
that  those  animals'  names  which  they  have  given 
to  their  several  tribes  were  mere  badges  of  distinction, 
but  if  we  pay  attention  to  the  reasons  which  they 
give  for  those  denominations,  the  idea  of  a  supposed 
family  connexion  is  easily  discernible.  The  Tortoise, 
or  as  it  is  commonly  called,  the  Turtle  tribe,  among 
the  Lenapes,  claims  a  superiority  and  ascendency  over 


2OO  Indians  [NO.  64 

the  others,  because  their  relation,  the  great  Tortoise, 
a  fabled  monster,  the  Atlas  of  their  mythology,  bears 
according  to  their  traditions  this  great  island  on  his 
back,  and  also  because  he  is  amphibious,  and  can  live 
both  on  land  and  in  the  water,  which  neither  of  the 
heads  of  the  other  tribes  can  do.  The  merits  of  the 
Turkey,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  second  tribe, 
are  that  he  is  stationary,  and  always  remains  with 
or  about  them.  As  to  the  Wolf,  after  whom  the 
third  tribe  is  named,  he  is  a  rambler,  by  nature,  run 
ning  from  one  place  to  another  in  quest  of  his  prey ; 
yet  they  consider  him  as  their  benefactor,  as  it  was 
by  his  means  that  the  Indians  got  out  of  the  interior 
of  the  earth.  It  was  he,  they  believe,  who  by  the 
appointment  of  the  Great  Spirit,  killed  the  deer  whom 
the  Monsey  found,  who  first  discovered  the  way  to 
the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  which  allured  them 
to  come  out  of  their  damp  and  dark  residence.  For 
that  reason,  the  wolf  is  to  be  honoured,  and  his  name 
preserved  forever  among  them.  Such  are  their 
traditions,  as  they  were  related  to  me  by  an  old  man 
of  this  tribe  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 

These  animals'  names,  it  is  true,  they  all  use  as 
national  badges,  in  order  to  distinguish  their  tribes 
from  each  other  at  home  and  abroad.  The  Turtle 
warrior  draws  either  with  a  coal  or  paint  here  and 
there  on  the  trees  along  the  war  path,  the  whole 
animal  carrying  a  gun  with  the  muzzle  projecting 
forward,  and  if  he  leaves  a  mark  at  the  place  where 
he  has  made  a  stroke  on  his  enemy,  it  will  be  the 
picture  of  a  tortoise.  Those  of  the  Turkey  tribe 
paint  only  one  foot  of  a  turkey,  and  the  Wolf  tribe, 
sometimes  a  wolf  at  large  with  one  leg  and  foot 
raised  up  to  serve  as  a  hand,  in  which  the  animal 


NO.  64]  Talk   to   Animals  201 

also  carries  a  gun  with  the  muzzle  forward.  They, 
however,  do  not  generally  use  the  word  "  wolf,"  when 
speaking  of  their  tribe,  but  call  themselves  Pauk-sit 
which  means  round-foot,  that  animal  having  a  round 
foot  like  a  dog. 

The  Indians,  in  their  hours  of  leisure,  paint  their 
different  marks  or  badges  on  the  doors  of  their 
respective  houses,  that  those  who  pass  by  may  know 
to  which  tribe  the  inhabitants  belong.  Those  marks 
also  serve  them  for  signatures  to  treaties  and  other 
documents.  They  are  as  proud  of  their  origin  from 
the  tortoise,  the  turkey,  and  the  wolf,  as  the  nobles 
of  Europe  are  of  their  descent  from  the  feudal  barons 
of  ancient  times,  and  when  children  spring  from 
intermarriages  between  different  tribes,  their  geneal 
ogy  is  carefully  preserved  by  tradition  in  the  family, 
that  they  may  know  to  which  tribe  they  belong. 

I  have  often  reflected  on  the  curious  connection 
which  appears  to  exist  in  the  mind  of  an  Indian 
between  man  and  the  brute  creation,  and  found 
much  matter  in  it  for  curious  observation.  Although 
they  consider  themselves  superior  to  all  other  animals 
and  are  very  proud  of  that  superiority ;  although 
they  believe  that  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  the  birds 
of  the  air,  and  the  fishes  of  the  waters,  were  created 
by  the  Almighty  Being  for  the  use  of  man ;  yet  it 
seems  as  if  they  ascribe  the  difference  between  them 
selves  and  the  brute  kind,  and  the  dominion  which 
they  have  over  them,  more  to  their  superior  bodily 
strength  and  dexterity  than  to  their  immortal  souls. 

I  have  already  observed  that  the  Indian  includes 
all  savage  beasts  within  the  number  of  his  enemies. 
This  is  by  no  means  a  metaphorical  or  figurative 
expression,  but  is  used  in  a  literal  sense,  as  will 


2  o  2  Indians  [NO.  64 

appear  from  what  I  am  going  to  relate.  A  Delaware 
hunter  once  shot  a  huge  bear  and  broke  its  back 
bone.  The  animal  fell  and  set  up  a  most  plaintive 
cry,  something  like  that  of  the  panther  when  he  is 
hungry.  The  hunter,  instead  of  giving  him  another 
shot,  stood  up  close  to  him,  and  addressed  him  in 
these  words :  "  Hark  ye  !  bear  ;  you  are  a  coward, 
and  no  warrior  as  you  pretend  to  be.  Were  you  a 
warrior,  you  would  show  it  by  your  firmness  and  not 
cry  and  whimper  like  an  old  woman.  You  know, 
bear,  that  our  tribes  are  at  war  with  each  other,  and 
that  yours  was  the  aggressor.  You  have  found  the 
Indians  too  powerful  for  you,  and  you  have  gone 
sneaking  about  in  the  woods,  stealing  their  hogs ; 
perhaps  at  this  time  you  have  hog's  flesh  in  your 
inside.  Had  you  conquered  me,  I  would  have  borne 
it  with  courage  and  died  like  a  brave  warrior ;  but 
you,  bear,  sit  here  and  cry,  and  disgrace  your  tribe 
by  your  cowardly  conduct."  I  was  present  at  the 
delivery  of  this  curious  invective ;  when  the  hunter 
had  despatched  the  bear,  I  asked  him  how  he  thought 
that  poor  animal  could  understand  what  he  said  to  it  ? 
"  Oh  !  "  said  he,  in  answer,  "  the  bear  understood  me 
very  well ;  did  you  not  observe  how  ashamed  he 
looked  while  I  was  upbraiding  him?" 

Another  time  I  witnessed  a  similar  scene  between 
the  falls  of  the  Ohio  and  the  river  Wabash.  A 
young  white  man,  named  William  Wells,  who  had 
been  when  a  boy  taken  prisoner  by  a  tribe  of  the 
Wabash  Indians,  by  whom  he  was  brought  up,  and 
had  imbibed  all  their  notions,  had  so  wounded  a  large 
bear  that  he  could  not  move  from  the  spot,  and  the 
animal  cried  piteously  like  the  one  I  have  just  men 
tioned.  The  young  man  went  up  to  him,  and  with 


No.65]  The    White   Man  203 

seemingly  great  earnestness,  addressed  him  in  the 
Wabash  language,  now  and  then  giving  him  a  slight 
stroke  on  the  nose  with  his  ram-rod.  I  asked  him, 
when  he  had  done,  what  he  had  been  saying  to  this 
bear?  "  I  have,"  said  he,  "  upbraided  him  for  acting 
the  part  of  a  coward ;  I  told  him  that  he  knew  the 
fortune  of  war,  that  one  or  the  other  of  us  must 
have  fallen ;  that  it  was  his  fate  to  be  conquered,  and 
he  ought  to  die  like  a  man,  like  a  hero,  and  not  like 
an  old  woman ;  that  if  the  case  had  been  reversed, 
and  I  had  fallen  into  the  power  of  my  enemy,  I 
would  not  have  disgraced  my  'nation  as  he  did,  but 
would  have  died  with  firmness  and  courage,  as  be 
comes  a  true  warrior." 


65.    An   Indian    Opinion    of  the 
White   Man 

BY  JOHN  HECKEWELDER  (1818) 

THEY  sometimes  amuse  themselves  by  passing  in 
review  those  customs  of  the  white  people  which  ap 
pear  to  them  most  striking.  They  observe,  amongst 
other  things,  that  when  the  whites  meet  together, 
many  of  them,  and  sometimes  all,  speak  at  the  same 
time,  and  they  wonder  how  they  can  thus  hear  and 
understand  each  other.  "Among  us,"  they  say, 
"  only  one  person  speaks  at  a  time,  and  the  others 
listen  to  him  until  he  has  done,  after  which,  and  not 
before,  another  begins  to  speak."  They  say  also  that 
the  whites  speak  too  much,  and  that  much  talk  dis 
graces  a  man  and  is  fit  only  for  women.  On  this 


2  o  4  Indians  [NO.  65 

subject  they  shrewdly  observe,  that  it  is  well  for  the 
whites  that  they  have  the  art  of  writing,  and  can 
write  down  their  words  and  speeches  ;  for  had  they, 
like  themselves,  to  transmit  them  to  posterity  by 
means  of  strings  and  belts  of  wampum,  they  would 
want  for  their  own  use  all  the  wampum  that  could  be 
made,  and  none  would  be  left  for  the  Indians. 

They  wonder  that  the  white  people  are  striving  so 
much  to  get  rich,  and  to  heap  up  treasures  in  this 
world  which  they  cannot  carry  with  them  to  the  next. 
They  ascribe  this  to  pride  and  to  the  desire  of  being 
called  rich  and  great.  They  say  that  there  is  enough 
in  this  world  to  live  upon,  without  laying  anything 
by,  and  as  to  the  next  world,  it  contains  plenty  of 
everything,  and  they  will  find  all  their  wants  satisfied 
when  they  arrive  there.  They,  therefore,  do  not  lay 
up  any  stores,  but  merely  take  with  them  when  they 
die  as  much  as  is  necessary  for  their  journey  to  the 
world  of  spirits. 

The  Indians  also  observe,  that  the  white  people 
must  have  a  great  many  thieves  among  them,  since 
they  put  locks  to  their  doors,  which  shows  great  ap 
prehension  that  their  property  otherwise  would  not 
be  safe  :  "As  to  us,"  say  they,  "we  entertain  no  such 
fears ;  thieves  are  very  rare  among  us,  and  we  have 
no  instance  of  any  person  breaking  into  a  house. 
Our  Indian  lock  is,  when  we  go  out,  to  set  the  corn 
pounder  or  billet  of  wood  against  the  door,  so  that  it 
may  be  seen  that  nobody  is  within,  and  there  is  no 
danger  that  any  Indian  would  presume  to  enter  a 
house  thus  secured."  Let  me  be  permitted  to  illus 
trate  this  by  an  anecdote. 

In  the  year  1771,  while  I  was  residing  on  the  Big 
Beaver,  I  passed  by  the  door  of  an  Indian,  who  was 


NO.  65]  The    White   Man  205 

a  trader,  and  had  consequently  a  quantity  of  goods  in 
his  house.  He  was  going  with  his  wife  to  Pittsburg, 
and  they  were  shutting  up  the  house,  as  no  person 
remained  in  it  during  their  absence.  This  shutting 
up  was  nothing  else  than  putting  a  large  hominy 
pounding-block,  with  a  few  sticks  of  wood  outside 
against  the  door,  so  as  to  keep  it  closed.  As  I  was 
looking  at  this  man  with  attention  while  he  was  so 
employed,  he  addressed  me  in  these  words  :  "  See,  my 
friend,  this  is  an  Indian  lock  that  I  am  putting  to  my 
door."  I  answered,  "  Well  enough ;  but  I  see  you 
leave  much  property  in  the  house,  are  you  not  afraid 
that  those  articles  will  be  stolen  while  you  are  gone  ?  " 
-"  Stolen!  by  whom?"  -"Why,  by  Indians,  to  be 
sure."-  —  "  No,  no,"  replied  he,  "no  Indian  would  do 
such  a  thing,  and  unless  a  white  man  or  white  people 
should  happen  to  come  this  way,  I  shall  find  all  safe 
on  my  return." 

The  Indians  say,  that  when  the  white  people  en 
camp  in  the  woods  they  are  sure  to  lose  something ; 
that  when  they  are  gone,  something  or  another  is 
always  found  which  they  have  lost,  such  as  a  knife, 
flints,  bullets,  and  sometimes  even  money.  They 
also  observe  that  the  whites  are  not  so  attentive  as 
they  are  to  choosing  an  open  dry  spot  for  their 
encampment ;  that  they  will  at  once  set  themselves 
down  in  any  dirty  and  wet  place,  provided  they  are 
under  large  trees ;  that  they  never  look  about  to  see 
which  way  the  wind  blows,  so  as  to  be  able  to  lay  the 
wood  for  their  fires  in  such  a  position  that  the  smoke 
may  not  blow  on  them  ;  neither  do  they  look  up  the 
trees  to  see  whether  there  are  not  dead  limbs  that  may 
fall  on  them  while  they  are  asleep  ;  that  any  wood  will 
do  for  them  to  lay  on  their  fires,  whether  it  be  dry  or 


206  Indians  [NO.  65 

wet,  and  half  rotten,  so  that  they  are  involved  during 
the  whole  night  in  a  cloud  of  smoke  ;  or  they  take 
such  wood  as  young  green  oak,  walnut,  cherry,  chest 
nut,  etc.,  which  throws  sparks  out  to  a  great  distance, 
so  that  their  blankets  and  clothes  get  holes  burned  in 
them,  and  sometimes  their  whole  camp  takes  fire. 
They  also  remark  that  the  whites  hang  their  kettles 
and  pots  over  a  fire  just  kindled,  and  before  the  great 
body  of  smoke  has  passed  away. 

They,  however,  acknowledge  that  the  whites  are 
ingenious,  that  they  make  axes,  guns,  knives,  hoes, 
shovels,  pots  and  kettles,  blankets,  shirts,  and  other 
very  convenient  articles,  to  which  they  have  now  be 
come  accustomed,  and  which  they  can  no  longer  do 
without.  "  Yet,"  say  they,  "  our  forefathers  did  with 
out  all  these  things,  and  we  have  never  heard,  nor 
has  any  tradition  informed  us  that  they  were  at  a  loss 
for  the  want  of  them ;  therefore  we  must  conclude 
that  they  also  were  ingenious ;  and,  indeed,  we  know 
that  they  were ;  for  they  made  axes  of  stone  to  cut 
with,  and  bows  and  arrows  to  kill  the  game  :  they 
made  knives  and  arrows'  points  with  sharp  flint  stones 
and  bones,  hoes  and  shovels  from  the  shoulder  blade 
of  the  elk  and  buff  aloe ;  they  made  pots  of  clay,  gar 
ments  of  skins,  and  ornaments  with  the  feathers  of 
the  turkey,  goose  and  other  birds.  They  were  not 
in  want  of  anything,  the  game  was  plenty  and  tame, 
the  dart  shot  from  our  arrows  did  not  frighten  them 
as  the  report  of  the  gun  now  does ;  we  had  therefore 
everything  that  we  could  reasonably  require  ;  we  lived 
happy !  " 


NO. 66]          A   Chief's    Precept          207 

66.    The   Memorable    Precept   of 
an   Indian    Chief 

BY  JOHN  TRUMBULL  (1841) 

AT  the  age  of  nine  or  ten  a  circumstance  occurred 
which  deserves  to  be  written  on  adamant.  In  the 
wars  of  New  England  with  the  aborigines,  the  Mo- 
hegan  tribe  of  Indians  early  became  friends  of  the 
English.  Their  favorite  ground  was  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  (now  the  Thames)  between  New  London 
and  Norwich.  A  small  remnant  of  the  Mohegans 
still  exists,  and  they  are  sacredly  protected  in  the 
possession  and  enjoyment  of  their  favorite  domain  on 
the  banks  of  the  Thames.  The  government  of  this 
tribe  had  become  hereditary  in  the  family  of  the  cele 
brated  chief  Uncas.  During  the  time  of  my  father's 
mercantile  prosperity,  he  had  employed  several  In 
dians  of  this  tribe  in  hunting  animals,  whose  skins 
were  valuable  for  their  fur. 

Among  these  hunters  was  one  named  Zachary,  of 
the  royal  race,  an  excellent  hunter,  but  as  drunken 
and  worthless  an  Indian  as  ever  lived.  When  he  had 
somewhat  passed  the  age  of  fifty,  several  members  of 
the  royal  family  who  stood  between  Zachary  and  the 
throne  of  his  tribe  died,  and  he  found  himself  with 
only  one  life  between  him  and  empire.  In  this 
moment  his  better  genius  resumed  its  sway,  and  he 
reflected  seriously,  "  How  can  such  a  drunken  wretch 
as  I  am,  aspire  to  be  the  chief  of  this  honorable  race 
—  what  will  my  people  say  —  and  how  will  the  shades 
of  my  noble  ancestors  look  down  indignant  upon  such 
a  base  successor  ?  Can  /succeed  to  the  great  Uncas  ? 


2  o  8  Indians  [NO.  66 

I  will  drink  no  more  !  "  He  solemnly  resolved  never 
again  to  taste  any  drink  but  water,  and  he  kept  his 
resolution. 

I  had  heard  this  story,  and  did  not  entirely  believe 
it ;  for  young  as  I  was,  I  already  partook  in  the  pre 
vailing  contempt  for  Indians.  In  the  beginning  of 
May,  the  annual  election  of  the  principal  officers  of 
the  then  colony  was  held  at  Hartford,  the  capital  : 
my  father  attended  officially,  and  it  was  customary 
for  the  chief  of  the  Mohegans  also  to  attend.  Zach- 
ary  had  succeeded  to  the  rule  of  his  tribe.  My 
father's  house  was  situated  about  midway  on  the  road 
between  Mohegan  and  Hartford,  and  the  old  chief 
was  in  the  habit  of  coming  a  few  days  before  the 
election,  and  dining  with  his  brother  governor. 

One  day  the  mischievous  thought  struck  me  to  try 
the  sincerity  of  the  old  man's  temperance.  The 
family  was  seated  at  dinner,  and  there  was  excellent 
home-brewed  beer  on  the  table.  I  addressed  the  old 
chief  —  "Zachary,  this  beer  is  excellent;  will  you 
taste  it?"  The  old  man  dropped  his  knife  and  fork 
—  leaned  forward  with  a  stern  intensity  of  expression; 
his  black  eye  sparkling  with  indignation  was  fixed  on 
me.  "John,"  said  he,  "you  do  not  know  what  you 
are  doing.  You  are  serving  the  devil,  boy  !  Do  you 
know  that  I  am  an  Indian  !  I  tell  you  that  I  am,  and 
that  if  I  should  taste  your  beer,  I  could  never  stop 
until  I  got  to  rum,  and  become  again  the  drunken, 
contemptible  wretch  your  father  remembers  me  to 
have  been.  John,  while  you  live,  never  again  tempt 
any  man  to  break  a  good  resolution." 

Socrates  never  uttered  a  more  valuable  precept  — 
Demosthenes  could  not  have  given  it  in  more  solemn 
tones  of  eloquence.  I  was  thunder-struck.  My 


NO.  67]  A  Ball  Game  209 

parents  were  deeply  affected  ;  they  looked  at  each 
other,  at  me,  and  at  the  venerable  old  Indian,  with 
deep  feelings  of  awe  and  respect.  They  afterwards 
frequently  reminded  me  of  the  scene,  and  charged  me 
never  to  forget  it.  Zachary  lived  to  pass  the  age  of 
eighty,  and  sacredly  kept  his  resolution.  He  lies 
buried  in  the  royal  burial-place  of  his  tribe,  near  the 
beautiful  falls  of  the  Yantic,  the  western  branch  of 
the  Thames,  in  Norwich,  on  land  now  owned  by  my 
friend,  Calvin  Goddard,  Esq.  I  visited  the  grave  of 
the  old  chief  lately,  and  there  repeated  to  myself  his 
inestimable  lesson. 


67.    An   Indian    Ball   Game 

BY  W.  B.  PARKER  (1845) 

UPON  entering  upon  the  prairie,  we  observed  in  the 
distance  a  crowd  of  natives  in  gay  clothing,  the  brill 
iant  colours  blend 
ing  with  the  ver 
dure,  and  making 
at  sunset  a  truly 
picturesque  scene. 
Riding  up,  we  wit 
nessed  a  scene 
never  to  be  for 
gotten.  It  was 
a  ball-play.  De- 

scribed       as      this  AN  INDIAN  CAM*. 

sport  has  been,  by 

the  able  pencil  of  Catlin,  description  falls  far  short  of 

reality.    About  six  hundred  men,  women  and  children, 

were  assembled,  all  dressed  in  holiday  costume,  and 


2  i  o  Indians  [NO.  67 

all  as  intent  upon  the  game  as  it  is  possible  to  be 
where  both  pleasure  and  interest  combine.  The  in 
terest  is  one  tribe  against  another,  or  one  county  of 
the  same  tribe,  against  a  neighboring  county  ;  the 
pleasure,  that  which  savages  always  take  in  every 
manly  and  athletic  sport. 

In  this  instance  the  contestants  were  all  Choctaws, 
practising  for  their  annual  game  with  the  Creeks,  and 
I  was  struck  with  the  interest  taken  by  all  the  lookers 
on,  in  the  proficiency  of  each  of  the  players.  About 
sixty  on  each  side  were  engaged  in  this  exciting  play, 
than  which  no  exercise  can  be  more  violent  nor 
better  calculated  to  develop  muscle  and  harden  the 
frame.  Each  player  provides  himself  with  what  are 
called  ball-sticks.  They  are  in  shape  like  a  large 
spoon,  made  of  a  piece  of  hickory  about  three  feet 
long,  shaved  thin  for  about  nine  inches  at  the  end 
forming  the  spoon,  then  bent  round  until  brought  into 
shape,  the  end  securely  fastened  to  the  handle  by 
buckskin  thongs,  the  under  side  or  bottom  of  the 
spoon  covered  with  a  coarse  net  work  of  the  same 
material.  He  has  one  in  each  hand,  and  the  ball, 
about  the  size  of  a  large  marble,  is  held  between  the 
spoons  and  thrown  with  an  overhand  rotary  motion, 
separating  the  spoons,  when  the  top  of  the  circle  is 
reached. 

The  game  is  this  :  two  poles  are  set  up,  each 
about  seventeen  feet  high  and  a  foot  apart  at  the 
bottom,  widening  to  three  feet  at  top.  At  the  dis 
tance  of  two  hundred  yards,  two  similar  poles  are 
set  up  facing  these.  To  strike  the  poles,  or  throw 
the  ball  between  them  counts  one,  and  twelve  is 
game.  An  umpire  and  starter  takes  the  ball,  advances 
to  a  mark  equi-distant  from  each  .end  of  the  course, 


NO.  67]  A  Ball  Game  211 

and  throws  it  vertically  into  the  air  ;  it  is  caught,  or 
falling  upon  the  ground  is  eagerly  struggled  for  and 
thrown  toward  the  desired  point.  We  saw  some 
throw  the  ball  the  whole  distance. 

At  each  brace  of  poles,  judges  are  stationed,  who, 
armed  with  pistols,  keep  close  watch,  and  whenever 
a  count  is  made  fire  their  pistols.  The  ball  is  then 
taken  and  started  anew. 

Among  the  players,  are  the  runners,  the  throwers, 
and  those  who  throw  themselves  in  the  way  and 
baffle  the  player  who  succeeds  in  getting  the  ball. 

The  runners  are  the  light  active  men,  the  throwers 
heavier,  and  then  the  fat  men,  who  can  neither  throw 
nor  run,  stand  ready  to  seize  a  thrower  or  upset  a 
runner. 

When  a  runner  gets  the  ball,  he  starts  at  full  speed 
towards  the  poles ;  if  intercepted,  he  throws  the  ball 
to  a  friend,  a  thrower,  perhaps,  he  is  knocked  down, 
then  begins  the  struggle  for  the  ball;  a  scene  of  push 
ing,  jostling,  and  striking  with  the  ball  sticks,  or  per 
haps  a  wrestle  or  two,  all  attended  with  hard  knocks 
and  harder  falls.  Whilst  looking  on,  one  man  was 
pitched  upon  his  head  and  had  his  collar  bone  broken ; 
another  had  part  of  his  scalp  knocked  off,  but  it  was 
all  taken  in  good  humour,  and  what,  among  white 
men,  would  inevitably  lead  to  black  eyes  and  bloody 
noses,  here  ended  with  the  passage  or  possession  of 
the  ball,  a  good  lesson  in  forbearance  and  amiability, 
worthy  of  imitation. 

The  combatants  are  stripped  entirely  naked  except 
a  breech  cloth  and  moccasins,  and  gaudily  painted ; 
they  fasten  at  the  centre  and  small  of  the  back,  a 
horse's  tail,  gaily  painted  and  arrayed  like  a  tail  that 
has  been  nicked  by  a  jockey;  some  wore  bouquets  of 


212  Indians  [NO.  68 

flowers  instead  of  the  tail,  but  these  were  evidently 
the  exquisites  of  the  party,  which  the  rings  worn  in 
the  ears,  nose  and  under  lips,  and  manner  of  arrang 
ing  the  hair — one  having  it  cut  to  a  point  and  drawn 
down  over  his  right  eye,  whilst  his  left  eye  was  painted 
green  —  clearly  proved.  The  grotesque  appearance 
of  the  players,  the  excitement,  yells  and  shouts  of  the 
crowd,  old  and  young,  and  the  gaudy  finery  displayed, 
all  combined  to  make  an  indelible  impression  upon 
our  memories.  The  aged  men  of  the  tribe  were  the 
most  noisy  and  excited.  One  old  fellow,  blind  of  an 
eye  and  seventy  years  old,  was  quite  wild  with  ex 
citement;  shaking  his  red  handkerchief,  he  continued 
to  shout,  hoo,  ka,  li  —  hoo,  ka,  li  —  catch,  catch, 
when  the  ball  was  thrown,  and  chi,  ca,  ma,  —  good, 
when  a  count  was  made,  until  quite  hoarse.  Doubt 
less,  like  the  old  war  horse  at  the  sound  of  the  bugle, 
he  felt  all  the  fire  of  his  youth,  as  he  entered  into  the 
full  spirit  of  this  truly  and  only  Indian  sport. 


68.    An    Indian    Fable 

ONE  pleasant  evening,  as  Nan-nee-bo-zho  walked 
along  the  banks  of  a  lake,  he  saw  a  flock  of  ducks, 
sailing  and  enjoying  themselves  on  the  blue  waters. 
He  called  to  them  : 

"  Ho!  come  with  me  into  my  lodge,  and  I  will  teach 
you  to  dance  !  "  Some  of  the  ducks  said  among  them 
selves,  "  It  is  Nan-nee-bo-zho,  let  us  not  go."  Others 
were  of  a  contrary  opinion,  and  his  words  being  fair, 
and  his  voice  insinuating,  a  few  turned  their  faces 
towards  the  land.  All  the  rest  soon  followed,  and 


NO.  68]  A  Fable  213 

with  many  pleasant  quackings,  trooped  after  him,  and 
entered  his  lodge. 

When  there,  he  first  took  an  Indian  sack,  with  a 
wide  mouth,  which  he  tied  by  the  strings  around  his 
neck,  so  that  it  would  hang  over  his  shoulders,  having 
the  mouth  unclosed.  Then  placing  himself  in  the 
centre  of  the  lodge,  he  ranged  the  ducks  in  a  circle 
around  him. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  you  must  all  shut  your  eyes  tight, 
whoever  opens  his  eyes  at  all,  something  dreadful  will 
happen  to  him.  I  will  take  my  Indian  flute  and  play 
upon  it,  and  you  will,  at  the  word  I  shall  give,  open 
your  eyes,  and  commence  dancing,  as  you  see  me  do." 

The  ducks  obeyed,  shutting  their  eyes  tight,  and 
keeping  time  to  the  music  by  stepping  from  one  foot 
to  the  other,  all  impatient  for  the  dancing  to  begin. 

Presently  a  sound  was  heard  like  a  smothered 
"  quack,"  but  the  ducks  did  not  dare  to  open  their 
eyes. 

Again,  and  again,  the  sound  of  the  flute  would  be 
interrupted,  and  a  gurgling  cry  of  "  qu-a-a-ck "  be 
heard.  There  was  one  little  duck,  much  smaller  than 
the  rest,  who  at  this  juncture,  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  open  one  eye,  cautiously.  She  saw 
Nan-nee-bo-zho,  as  he  played  his  flute,  holding  it  with 
one  hand,  stoop  a  little  at  intervals  and  seize  the  duck 
nearest  him,  which  he  throttled  and  stuffed  into  the 
bag  on  his  shoulders.  So,  edging  a  little  out  of  the 
circle,  and  getting  nearer  the  door  which  had  been 
left  partly  open  to  admit  the  light,  she  cried  out : 

"  Open  your  eyes  —  Nan-nee-bo-zho  is  choking  you 
all  and  putting  you  into  his  bag  !  " 

With  that  she  flew,  but  the  Nan-nee-bo-zho  pounced 
upon  her.  His  hand  grasped  her  back,  yet,  with  des- 


214  Indians  [NO.  69 

perate  force,  she  released  herself  and  gained  the  open 
air.  Her  companions  flew,  quacking  and  screaming 
after  her.  Some  escaped,  and  some  fell  victims  to 
the  sprite. 

The  little  duck  had  saved  her  life,  but  she  had  lost 
her  beauty.  She  ever  after  retained  the  attitude  she 
had  been  forced  into,  in  her  moment  of  danger  —  her 
back  pressed  down  in  the  centre,  and  her  head  and 
neck  unnaturally  stretched  forward  into  the  air. 


69.    A   Great   Many   Crullers 
needed 

BY  MRS.  JULIETTE  A.  KINZIE  (1830) 

AT  an  early  hour  the  next  morning  I  had  quite  a 
levee  of  the  Ho-tshung-rah  matrons.  They  seated 
themselves  in  a  circle  on  the  floor,  and  I  was  sorry  to 
observe  that  the  application  of  a  little  soap  and  water 
to  their  blankets  had  formed  no  part  of  their  holiday 
preparations.  There  being  no  one  to  interpret,  I 
thought  I  would  begin  the  conversation  in  a  way  in 
telligible  to  themselves,  so  I  brought  out  of  the  side 
board  a  china  dish,  filled  with  the  nice  brown  crullers, 
over  which  I  had  grated,  according  to  custom,  a  goodly 
quantity  of  white  sugar.  I  handed  it  to  the  first  of 
the  circle.  She  took  the  dish  from  my  hand,  and  de 
liberately  pouring  all  the  cakes  into  the  corner  of  her 
blanket,  returned  it  to  me  empty.  "  She  must  be  a 
most  voracious  person,"  thought  I,  "but  I  will  manage 
better  the  next  time."  I  refilled  the  dish,  and  ap 
proached  the  next  one,  taking  care  to  keep  a  fast  hold 


NO.  69]          Plenty   of  Crullers          215 

of  it  as  I  offered  the  contents,  of  which  I  supposed 
she  would  modestly  take  one.  Not  so,  however. 
She  scooped  out  the  whole  with  her  two  hands,  and, 
like  the  former,  bestowed  them  in  her  blanket.  My 
sense  of  politeness  revolted  at  handing  them  out  one 
by  one,  as  we  do  to  children,  so  I  sat  down  to  delib 
erate  what  was  to  be  done,  for  evidently  the  supply 
would  not  long  answer  such  an  ample  demand,  and 
there  would  be  more  visitors  anon. 

While  I  was  thus  perplexed  those  who  had  received 
the  cakes  commenced  a  distribution,  and  the  whole 
number  was  equitably  divided  among  the  company. 
But  I  observed  they  did  not  eat  them.  They  passed 
their  fingers  over  the  grated  sugar,  looked  in  each 
other's  faces,  and  muttered  in  low  tones  —  there  was 
evidently  something  they  did  not  understand.  Pres 
ently  one  more  adventurous  than  the  rest  wet  her 
fingers,  and  taking  up  a  few  grains  of  the  sugar  put 
it  cautiously  to  her  mouth. 

"  Tah-nee-zhoo-rah  !  (Sugar !)  was  her  delighted 
exclamation,  and  they  all  broke  out  into  a  hearty 
laugh ;  it  is  needless  to  say  that  the  cakes  disappeared 
with  all  the  celerity  they  deemed  compatible  with 
good-breeding.  Never  having  seen  any  sugar  but  the 
brown  or  yellow  maple,  they  had  supposed  the  white 
substance  to  be  salt,  and  for  that  reason  had  hesitated 
to  taste  it. 

Their  visit  was  prolonged  until  Shaw-nee-aw-kee 
made  his  appearance,  and  then,  having  been  made 
happy  by  their  various  gifts,  they  all  took  their  de 
parture. 


PART    VI 
AT   SEA 


70.    "  A   Gallant   Ship   that   flew 
the   Stars   and   Stripes ' 

Tis  of  a  gallant  Yankee  ship  that  flew  the  stripes  and  This  old 

Qtarc:  song 

bldrb'  describes  the 

And  the  whistling  wind  from  the  west-nor'-west  blew  course  of  the 

through  the  pitch-pine  spars,  cap  Jn"^' 

With  her  starboard  tacks  aboard,  my  boys,  she  hung  j0hn  Paul 

upon  the  gale  ;  Jones,  in 

On  an  autumn  night  we  raised  the  light  on  the  old  I77  ' 
Head  of  Kinsale. 

It  was  a  clear  and  cloudless  night,  and  the  wind  blew 

steady  and  strong, 
As   gayly   over    the   sparkling  deep   our   good    ship 

bowled  along; 
With  the   foaming    seas  beneath   her  bow  the  fiery 

waves  she  spread, 
And  bending  low  her  bosom  of  snow,  she  buried  her 

lee  cat-head. 

There  was  no   talk   of    shortening  sail  by   him  who 

walked  the  poop, 
And  under  the  press  of  her  pond'ring  jib,  the  boom 

bent  like  a  hoop  ! 

217 


2  i  8  At  Sea  [NO.  7o 

And  the   groaning  water-ways  told  the  strain  that 

held  her  stout  main-tack, 
But  he  only  laughed  as  he  glanced  aloft  at  a  white 

and  silvery  track. 


JOHN   PAUL  JONES. 

The  mid-tide  meets  in  the  channel  waves  that  flow 

from  shore  to  shore, 
And    the    mist    hung    heavy    upon    the    land    from 

Featherstone  to  Dunmore 
And  that  sterling  light  in  Tusker   Rock  where  the 

old  bell  tolls  each  hour, 
And   the    beacon    light    that    shone   so   bright   was 

quench'd  on  Waterford  Tower. 


NO.  7o]          "^   Gallant   Ship  ''         219 

The  nightly  robes  our  good  ship  wore  were  her  three 

topsails  set 
Her  spanker  and  her  standing  jib  —  the  courses  being 

fast ; 
"  Now,  lay  aloft !  my  heroes  bold,  lose  not  a  moment 

yet!" 
And  royals  and  top-gallant  sails  were  quickly  on  each 

mast. 

What  looms  upon  our  starboard  bow  ?  What  hangs 
upon  the  breeze  ? 

'Tis  time  our  good  ship  hauled  her  wind  abreast  the 
old  Saltee's, 

For  by  her  ponderous  press  of  sail  and  by  her  con 
sorts  four 

We  saw  our  morning  visitor  was  a  British  man-of-war. 

Up  spake  our  noble  Captain  then,  as  a  shot  ahead  of 

us  past  — 
"  Haul  snug  your  flowing  courses  !  lay  your  topsail 

to  the  mast !  " 
Those  Englishmen  gave  three  loud  hurrahs  from  the 

deck  of  their  covered  ark, 
And  we  answered  back  by  a  solid  broadside  from  the 

decks  of  our  patriot  bark. 

"Out  booms!  out  booms!"  our  skipper  cried,  "out 

booms  and  give  her  sheet," 
And  the  swiftest  keel  that  was  ever  launched  shot 

ahead  of  the  British  fleet, 
And  amidst  a  thundering  shower  of  shot,  with  stun'- 

sails  hoisting  away, 
Down  the  North  Channel  Paul  Jones  did  steer  just 

at  the  break  of  day. 


220  At  Sea  [NO. 7i 

71.    How   to    Catch   Whales 

BY  HECTOR  ST.  JOHN  CREVECCEUR  (1752) 

THE  vessels  most  proper  for  whale  fishing,  are  brigs 
of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons  burden ;  they  al 
ways  man  them  with  thirteen  hands,  in  order  that  they 
may  row  two  whale  boats ;  the  crews  of  which  must 
necessarily  consist  of  six,  four  at  the  oars,  one  stand 
ing  on  the  bows  with  the  harpoon,  and  the  other  at 
the  helm.  It  is  also  necessary  that  there  should  be 
two  of  these  boats,  that  if  one  should  be  destroyed  in 
attacking  the  whale,  the  other,  which  is  never  engaged 
at  the  same  time,  may  be  ready  to  save  the  hands. 
Five  of  the  thirteen  are  always  Indians ;  the  last  of 
the  complement  remains  on  board  to  steer  the  vessel 
during  the  action.  They  have  no  wages ;  each  draws 
a  certain  established  share  in  partnership  with  the 
proprietor  of  the  vessel ;  by  which  economy  they  are 
all  proportionably  concerned  in  the  success  of  the 
enterprise,  and  all  equally  alert  and  vigilant.  None 
of  these  whale-men  ever  exceed  the  age  of  forty : 
they  look  on  those  who  are  passed  that  period  not  to 
be  possessed  of  all  that  vigour  and  agility  which  so 
adventurous  a  business  requires.  Indeed  if  you  at 
tentively  consider  the  immense  disproportion  between 
the  object  assailed  and  the  assailants ;  if  you  think 
on  the  diminutive  size,  and  weakness  of  their  frail 
vehicle  ;  if  you  recollect  the  treachery  of  the  element 
on  which  this  scene  is  transacted ;  the  sudden  and 
unforeseen  accidents  of  winds,  you  will  readily  ac 
knowledge,  that  it  must  require  the  most  consummate 
exertion  of  all  the  strength,  agility,  and  judgment, 


NO.  7i]  W r haling  221 

of  which  the  bodies  and  the  minds  of  men  are  capa 
ble,  to  undertake  these  adventurous  encounters. 

As  soon  as  they  arrive  in  those  latitudes  where 
they  expect  to  meet  with  whales,  a  man  is  sent  up 
to  the  mast  head ;  if  he  sees  one,  he  immediately 
cries  out  await e  pawana,  here  is  a  whale ;  they  all 
remain  still  and  silent  until  he  repeats  pawaiia,  a 
whale,  when  in  less  than  six  minutes  the  two  boats 
are  launched,  rilled  with  every  implement  necessary 
for  the  attack.  They  row  toward  the  whale  with 
astonishing  velocity  ;  and  as  the  Indians  early  became 
their  fellow  labourers  in  this  new  warfare,  you  can 
easily  conceive,  how  their  expressions  became  familiar 
on  board  the  whale-boats.  Formerly  it  often  hap 
pened  that  whale  vessels  were  manned  with  none  but 
Indians  and  the  master. 

There  are  various  ways  of  approaching  the  whale, 
according  to  their  peculiar  species ;  and  this  previous 
knowledge  is  of  the  utmost  consequence.  When 
these  boats  are  arrived  at  a  reasonable  distance,  one 
of  them  rests  on  its  oars  and  stands  off,  as  a  witness 
of  the  approaching  engagement ;  near  the  bows  of 
the  other  the  harpooner  stands  up,  and  on  him  princi 
pally  depends  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  He 
wears  a  jacket  closely  buttoned,  and  round  his  head 
a  handkerchief  tightly  bound  :  in  his  hands  he  holds 
the  dreadful  weapon,  made  of  the  best  steel,  marked 
sometimes  with  the  name  of  their  town,  and  some 
times  with  that  of  their  vessel.  To  the  shaft  of  this 
the  end  of  a  cord  of  due  strength,  coiled  up  with  the 
utmost  care  in  the  middle  of  the  boat,  is  firmly  tied ; 
the  other  end  is  fastened  to  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 
Thus  prepared  they  row  in  profound  silence,  leaving 
the  whole  conduct  of  the  enterprise  to  the  harpooner 


222  At  Sea  [NO. 7i 

and  to  the  steersman,  attentively  following  their  direc 
tions.  When  the  former  judges  himself  to  be  near 
enough  to  the  whale,  that  is,  at  the  distance  of  about 
fifteen  feet,  he  bids  them  stop ;  launches  it  forth  - 
she  is  struck:  from  her  first  movement  they  judge  of 
her  temper,  as  well  as  of  their  future  success. 

Sometimes  in  the  immediate  impulse  of  rage,  she 
will  attack  the  boat  and  demolish  it  with  one  stroke 
of  her  tail ;  in  an  instant  the  frail  vehicle  disappears 
and  the  assailants  are  immersed  in  the  dreadful  ele 
ment.  At  other  times  she  will  dive  and  disappear 
from  human  sight ;  and  every  thing  must  then  give 
way  to  her  velocity ;  or  else  all  is  lost.  Sometimes 
she  will  swim  away  as  if  untouched,  and  draw  the 
cord  with  such  swiftness  that  it  will  set  the  edge  of 
the  boat  on  fire  by  the  friction.  If  she  rises  before 
she  has  run  out  the  whole  length,  she  is  looked  upon 
as  a  sure  prey.  The  blood  she  has  lost  in  her  flight, 
weakens  her  so  much,  that  if  she  sinks  again,  it  is 
but  for  a  short  time;  the  boat  follows  her  course 
with  an  almost  equal  speed.  She  soon  re-appears ; 
tired  out  at  last  she  dies,  and  floats  on  the  surface. 

At  other  times  it  may  happen,  that  she  is  not  danger 
ously  wounded,  though  she  carries  the  harpoon  fast 
in  her  body ;  when  she  will  alternately  dive  and  rise, 
and  swim  on  with  unabated  vigour.  She  then  soon 
reaches  beyond  the  length  of  the  cord,  and  carries 
the  boat  along  with  amazing  velocity :  this  sudden 
impediment  sometimes  will  retard  her  speed,  at  other 
times  it  only  serves  to  rouse  her  anger,  and  to  accel 
erate  her  progress.  The  harpooner,  with  the  axe  in 
his  hands,  stands  ready.  When  he  observes  that  the 
bows  of  the  boat  are  greatly  pulled  down  by  the 
diving  whale,  and  that  it  begins  to  sink  deep  and  to 


No.  71] 


W^haling 


223 


take  much  water,  he  brings  the  axe  almost  in  contact 
with  the  cord  ;  he  pauses,  still  flattering  himself  that 
she  will  relax ;  but  the  moment  grows  critical,  una 
voidable  danger  approaches  :  sometimes  men  more 
intent  on  gain,  than  on  the  preservation  of  their  lives, 
will  run  great  risks  ;  and  it  is  wonderful  how  far  these 
people  have  carried  their  daring  courage  at  this  awful 
moment !  But  it  is  vain  to  hope,  their  lives  must  be 
saved,  the  cord  is  cut,  the  boat  rises  again.  If  after 
thus  getting  loose,  she  re-appears,  they  will  attack 
and  wound  her  a  second  time.  She  soon  dies,  and 
when  dead  she  is  towed  alongside  of  their  vessel, 
where  she  is  fastened. 


A   WHALER'S   OUTFIT. 


224  ^t      ea  [N°'72 

72.    A  Sea  Voyage 

BY  ABIGAIL   ADAMS  (1784) 

On  board  ship  Active,  Latitude  44,  Longitude  34. 
Tuesday ,  6  July,  1784.     From  the  Ocean. 

MY    DEAR    SISTER, 

I  HAVE  been  sixteen  days  at  sea,  and  have  not  at 
tempted  to  write  a  single  letter.  Tis  true,  I  have 
kept  a  journal  whenever  I  was  able  ;  but  that  must 
be  close  locked  up,  unless  I  was  sure  to  hand  it  you 
with  safety. 

'Tis  said  of  Cato,  the  Roman  Censor,  that  one  of 
the  three  things,  which  he  regretted  during  his  life, 
was  going  once  by  sea  when  he  might  have  made 
his  journey  by  land.  I  fancy  the  philosopher  was 
not  proof  against  that  most  disheartening,  dispiriting 
malady,  sea-sickness.  Of  this  I  am  very  sure,  that 
no  lady  would  ever  wish  a  second  time  to  try  the  sea, 
were  the  objects  of  her  pursuit  within  the  reach  of  a 
land  journey. 

The  vessel  is  very  deep  loaded  with  oil  and  potash. 
The  oil  leaks,  the  potash  smokes  and  ferments.  All 
adds  to  the  flavor.  When  you  add  to  all  this  the 
horrid  dirtiness  of  the  ship,  the  slovenliness  of  the 
steward,  and  the  unavoidable  slopping  and  spilling 
occasioned  by  the  tossing  of  the  ship,  I  am  sure  you 
will  be  thankful  that  the  pen  is  not  in  the  hand  of 
Swift  or  Smollet,  and  still  more  so  that  you  are  far 
removed  from  the  scene.  No  sooner  was  I  able  to 
move,  than  I  found  it  necessary  to  make  a  bustle 
amongst  the  waiters,  and  demand  a  cleaner  abode. 
By  this  time,  Briesler  was  upon  his  feet,  and,  as  I 
found  I  might  reign  mistress  on  board  without  any 


NO.  72]  A  Sea  Voyage  225 

offence,  I  soon  exerted  my  authority  with  scrapers, 
mops,  brushes,  infusions  of  vinegar,  &c.,  and  in  a  few 
hours  you  would  have  thought  yourself  in  a  different 
ship.  Since  which,  our  abode  is  much  more  tolerable, 
and  the  gentlemen  all  thank  me  for  my  care.  Our 
captain  is  an  admirable  seaman,  always  attentive  to 
his  sails  and  his  rigging  ;  keeps  the  deck  all  night ; 
careful  of  everybody  on  board  ;  watchful  that  they 
run  no  risk  ;  kind  and  humane  to  his  men,  who  are  all 
as  still  and  quiet  as  any  private  family  ;  nothing  cross 
or  dictatorial  in  his  manners ;  a  much  more  agreeable 
man  than  I  expected  to  find  him.  He  cannot  be 
called  a  polished  gentleman  ;  but  he  is,  so  far  as  I 
have  seen,  a  very  clever  man. 

I  have  accustomed  myself  to  writing  a  little  every 
day,  when  I  was  able,  so  that  a  small  motion  of  the 
ship  does  not  render  it  more  unintelligible  than  usual ; 
but  there  is  no  time,  since  I  have  been  at  sea,  when 
the  ship  is  what  we  call  still,  that  its  motion  is  not 
equal  to  the  moderate  rocking  of  a  cradle.  As  to 
wind  and  weather,  since  we  came  out,  they  have  been 
very  fortunate  for  us  in  general.  We  have  had  three 
calm  days,  and  two  days  contrary  wind,  with  a  storm, 
I  called  it ;  but  the  sailors  say  it  was  only  a  breeze. 
This  was  upon  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  the 
wind  at  east;  through  the  day  we  could  not  sit  in 
our  chairs,  only  as  some  gentleman  sat  by  us  with 
his  arm  fastened  into  ours,  and  his  feet  braced  against 
a  table  or  chair,  that  was  lashed  down  with  ropes ; 
bottle,  mugs,  plates,  crashing  to  pieces,  first  on  one 
side  and  then  on  the  other ;  the  sea  running  moun 
tain-high,  and  knocking  against  the  sides  of  the  ves 
sel  as  though  it  would  burst  them.  When  I  became 
so  fatigued  with  the  incessant  motion  as  not  to  be 
Q 


226  At  Sea  [NO. 72 

able  to  sit  any  longer,  I  was  assisted  into  my  cabin, 
where  I  was  obliged  to  hold  myself  in  with  all  my 
might  the  remainder  of  the  night. 

Our  accommodations  on  board  are  not  what  I  could 
wish,  or  hoped  for.  Our  state-rooms  are  about  half 
as  large  as  cousin  Betsey's  little  chamber,  with  two 
cabins  in  each.  This  place  has  a  small  grated  win 
dow,  which  opens  into  the  companion-way,  and  by 
this  is  the  only  air  admitted. 

If  the  wind  and  weather  continue  as  favorable  as 
they  have  hitherto  been,  we  expect  to  make  our  pas 
sage  in  thirty  days,  which  is  going  a  hundred  miles  a 

day. 

8  July. 

A  wet,  drizzly  day,  but  we  must  not  complain,  for 
we  have  a  fair  wind,  our  sails  all  square,  and  go  at 
seven  knots  an  hour.  I  have  made  a  great  acquisi 
tion.  I  have  learnt  the  names  and  places  of  all  the 
masts  and  sails ;  and  the  Captain  compliments  me  by 
telling  me  that  he  is  sure  I  know  well  enough  how  to 
steer,  to  take  a  turn  at  the  helm.  I  may  do  pretty 
well  in  fair  weather,  but  'tis  your  masculine  spirits 
that  are  made  for  storms.  I  love  the  tranquil  scenes 
of  life. 

I  went  last  evening  upon  deck,  at  the  invitation  of 
Mr.  Foster,  to  view  that  phenomenon  of  Nature,  a 
blazing  ocean.  A  light  flame  spreads  over  the  ocean, 
in  appearance,  with  thousands  of  thousands  of  spar 
kling  gems,  resembling  our  fire-flies  in  a  dark  night. 
It  has  a  most  beautiful  appearance. 

10  July. 

Yesterday  was  a  very  pleasant  day.  Very  little 
wind,  but  a  fine  sun  and  a  smooth  sea.  I  spent  most 
of  the  day  upon  deck,  reading ;  it  was  not,  however, 


NO.  72]  ^4  Sea  Voyage  227 

so  warm  but  a  baize  gown  was  very  comfortable. 
The  ship  has  gradually  become  less  irksome  to  me. 
If  our  cook  was  but  tolerably  clean,  I  could  relish 
my  food.  But  he  is  a  great,  dirty,  lazy  negro,  with 
no  more  knowledge  of  cookery  than  a  savage,  nor 
any  kind  of  order  in  the  distribution  of  his  dishes ; 
but  on  they  come,  higgledy-piggledy,  with  a  leg  of 
pork  all  bristly ;  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after,  a  pud 
ding  ;  or,  perhaps,  a  pair  of  roast  fowls,  first  of  all, 
and  then  will  follow  one  by  one  a  piece  of  beef,  and, 
when  dinner  is  nearly  completed,  a  plate  of  potatoes. 
Such  a  fellow  is  a  real  imposition  upon  the  passen 
gers.  But  gentlemen  know  but  little  about  the  mat 
ter,  and,  if  they  can  get  enough  to  eat  five  times  a 
day,  all  goes  well.  We  ladies  have  not  eaten,  upon 
our  whole  passage,  more  than  just  enough  to  satisfy 
nature,  or  to  keep  body  and  soul  together. 

17  July. 

Give  me  joy,  my  dear  sister;  we  have  sounded 
to-day  and  found  bottom,  fifty-five  fathom.  We  have 
seen,  through  the  course  of  the  day,  twenty  different 
sail,  and  spoke  with  a  small  boat  upon  a  smuggling 
expedition,  which  assured  us  we  were  within  the 

Channel. 

1 8  July. 

This  day  four  weeks  we  came  on  board.  Are  you 
not  all  calculating  to-day  that  we  are  near  the  land  ? 
Happily,  you  are  not  wrong  in  your  conjectures.  I 
do  not  despair  of  seeing  it  yet  before  night,  though 
our  wind  is  very  small  and  light.  The  captain  has 
just  been  down  to  advise  us,  as  the  vessel  is  so  quiet, 
to  get  what  things  we  wish  to  carry  on  shore  into 
our  small  trunks.  He  hopes  to  land  us  at  Ports 
mouth,  seventy  miles  distant  from  London,  to-mor- 


228  At  Sea  [NO.  73 

row  or  next  day  ;  from  thence  we  are  to  proceed,  in 
post-chaises,  to  London.  The  ship  may  be  a  week 
in  the  channel  before  she  will  be  able  to  get  up. 


73.    The  Pleasures  of  Impressment 

BY  EBENEZER  SMITH  THOMAS  (1800) 

I  SAILED  from  Charleston,  (bound  to  Liverpool,  in 
the  month  of  June,)  in  an  old  worn  out  ship,  called 
the  Mercury,  Captain  Waldron.  We  soon  discovered 
that  our  ship  leaked  very  badly ;  so  much  so,  that  it 
took  fifteen  minutes  in  every  hour  to  keep  her  free. 
This  made  very  hard  duty  for  the  crew,  which  was 
not  a  very  strong  one ;  for  seamen  were  as  scarce  as 
ships.  Fortunately  the  winds  were  light  and  fair  — 
nothing  remarkable  occurred  until  we  arrived  on  the 
Banks  of  Newfoundland,  when,  on  the  fourth  of  July, 
the  weather  was  so  cold  that  the  only  way  we  could 
make  ourselves  comfortable  was  by  lying  in  bed.  As 
is  not  unusual  on  the  banks,  the  weather  was  very 
thick  —  we  could  not  see  an  hundred  yards  ahead. 

The  next  morning,  just  at  daylight,  the  mate, 
whose  watch  it  was,  rushed  into  the  cabin,  exclaim 
ing,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Captain  Waldron,  there 
is  land  close  on  board !  "  The  Captain  was  on  deck 
in  a  moment,  and  I,  who  was  the  only  passenger, 
was  not  long  after  him.  To  be  close  on  shore,  when 
by  our  reckoning  we  should  be  near  the  middle  of  the 
Atlantic,  was  enough  to  alarm  the  stoutest  heart,  and 
every  soul  appeared  on  deck  in  a  minute.  It  was  now 
the  twilight  of  dawn,  and  the  only  object  at  all  visible, 
was  a  mountain  hanging  apparently  over  us  —  not  of 


NO.  73]  Impressment  229 

earth,  or  of  rocks,  but  very  much  resembling  the  latter 
—  a  mountain  of  ice  ;  besides  which,  as  the  fog  cleared 
away,  we  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  floating 
islands  of  the  same  material ;  so  that  it  was  luff,  or 
bear  away,  all  day,  to  keep  from  running  foul  of  them. 
Fortunately  for  us,  before  sunset  we  had  them  all 
astern,  with  a  clear  course  and  fair  breeze.  Had  day 
light  been  one  hour  later,  we  should  all  inevitably 
have  perished,  as  the  immense  mass  was  directly  in 
our  course,  and  would  have  been  felt  as  soon  as  seen 
in  the  darkness  of  the  night  Its  altitude  was  up 
wards  of  two  hundred  feet. 

With  our  regular  "  pump  music"  one-fourth  of  the 
time,  night  and  day,  we  at  length  made  Cape  Clear 
in  Ireland ;  it  was  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  latter  part 
of  July.  About  thirty  whales  passed  us  within  less 
than  one  hundred  feet  of  our  stern.  Fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  later,  from  the  situation  they  were  in, 
they  might  have  done  us  much  mischief.  We  entered 
the  Cape  that  evening.  At  the  first  go  off,  we  lost 
our  kedge  and  hawser,  after  which  we  had  to  let  go 
the  best  bower,  and  in  this  way  we  were  eight  days 
"tiding  it  up  to  Liverpool,"  from  the  Cape.  On  the 
sixth  day  we  took  a  pilot  on  board. 

On  the  forenoon  of  the  seventh,  a  ship,  whose  drum  The  British 
we  had  heard  for  three  or  four  nights  preceding,  made  accustomed 
her  appearance  on  our  weather  beam,  at  about  a  mile  to  enlist  by 
distance,  and  sent  her  compliments  to  us  in  the  shape  ^j^^Iied 
of  an  eighteen  pound  shot  that  passed  through  our   seamen 
main-top   sail.     Capt.  Waldron  immediately  ordered  whom  they 

,        ,         ,       ,  1-1  •   •  'A    r      .LI  found,  and 

it  to  be  backed,  and  in  that  position  to  await  further  often  took 

intelligence  from  the  stranger.     We  had  not  to  wait  American 

long,  for,  in  less  than  four  minutes,  there  came  another  JJ^jJuB^f 

shot  that  passed  about  four  feet  over  the  head  of  the  ail  right. 


230 


At   Sea 


[No.  73 


man  at  the  helm,  and  through  the  spanker.  Our  ship 
was  then  hove  to,  and  was  soon  boarded  from  our 
new  acquaintance,  by  a  boat  having  two  officers  and 
six  men,  who  reported  their  ship  "  the  sloop  of  war 
Reynard,  Captain  Spicer,  on  the  impress  service." 
Our  crew  consisted  of  the  captain,  two  mates,  eight 
hands,  a  steward  and  cook.  Two  of  the  hands  were 
broken-down  discharged  English  seamen,  one  of 
whom  had  not  been  able  to  do  duty  for  a  month. 

The  lieutenant  took  command  of  our  ship,  ordered 
the  crew  aft,  and  proceeded  to  overhaul  them.  He 
ordered  into  the  boat  the  steward  and  cook,  both 
slaves  belonging  to  Charleston,  a  Portuguese  sailor, 
and  Jonathan  Williams,  a  native  of  Maine ;  and  as  I 
walked  on  one  side  the  quarter-deck  while  they  had 
possession  of  the  other,  I  overheard  a  part  of  a  consul 
tation  between  the  two  officers,  the  subject  of  which 
was,  whether  they  should  not  press  me  with  the  others  ; 
and  I  believe  I  was  indebted  for  my  escape  to  my  un- 
seamanlike  appearance  —  a  long  coat  and  breeches. 
They  then  left  us,  without  hands  to  work  our  ship, 
which  the  pilot  immediately  brought  to  anchor,  and 
sent  his  boat,  then  in  attendance,  up  to  Liverpool,  to 
procure  hands  for  that  purpose.  This  was  a  busy 
day  with  the  Reynard.  Head  winds  having  prevailed 
for  a  fortnight,  a  large  outward  bound  fleet  had  col 
lected,  consisting  of  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
sail,  more  than  one  hundred  of  which  were  Ameri 
cans,  and  all  armed,  this  being  just  at  the  close  of 
"John  Adams'  hot  water  war  with  France." 

Reynard  was  too  cunning  to  meddle  with  these 
Yankees'  who  had  a^  arranged  themselves  under  the 
command  of  Captain  King,  of  the  ship  Kingston,  of 
Philadelphia,  whom  they  had  appointed  Commodore. 


NO.  74]        Loyal  Even  to  Death        231 

They  would  have  been  ugly  customers  for  a  dozen 
sloops  of  war.  The  Kingston  had  two  and  twenty 
guns,  and  the  others  from  six  to  sixteen  each.  The 
next  morning  a  boat  belonging  to  the  Reynard,  that 
has  lost  sight  of  her  in  the  night,  came  along  side  of 
us,  with  a  midshipman  and  four  hands,  and  requested 
to  be  taken  to  Liverpool.  This  was  agreed  to,  provided 
they,  all  hands,  went  to  work  and  got  our  ship  under 
way.  No  sooner  said  than  done.  The  poor  fellows 
were  glad  of  the  chance,  as  they  had  been  rowing  all 
night  to  overtake  their  ship,  which  had  sent  them  to 
board  some  "  North  Countrymen,"  and  left  them  to 
get  on  board  again  as  they  could.  In  the  afternoon 
we  got  up  to  town,  and  went  into  Queen's  dock,  which, 
notwithstanding  the  fleet  that  had  so  recently  left, 
was  still  crowded  with  American  shipping,  two  hun 
dred  and  fifty-six  sail  of  which  hoisted  the  stars  and 
stripes  on  our  nation's  birth-day,  about  three  weeks 
before. 


74.    Loyal   Even   to   Death 

BY  THOMAS  TRUXTUN  (1800) 

AT  half  past  seven  A.M.  the  road  of   Basseterre,  This  is  the 
Guadaloupe,  bearing  east,  five  leagues  distance,  I  saw  ^^  of 
a  sail  in  the    southeast   standing   to   the   westward,   an  act  of 
which,  from  her  situation,  I  at  first  took  for  a  large  g^ntr 
ship  from  Martinico,  and  hoisted  English  colors,  on  james  jarvis 
giving  chase,  by  way  of  inducement  for  her  to  come  was  only 
down  and  speak  me,  which  would  have  saved  a  long 
chase  to   leeward   of  my  intended  cruising   ground. 
When  she  did  not  attempt  to  alter  her  course,  I  ex 
amined  her  more  attentively  as  we  approached  her, 


232  At  Sea  [NO.  74 

and  discovered  her  to  be  a  heavy  French  frigate, 
mounting  at  least  fifty-four  guns.  I  immediately 
gave  orders  for  the  ship  to  be  cleared,  ready  for 
action,  and  hauled  down  the  English  colors.  At 
noon  the  wind  became  light,  and  I  observed  the 
chase,  that  we  had  before  been  gaining  fast  on,  held 
way  with  us,  but  I  was  determined  to  continue  the 
pursuit,  though  the  running  to  leeward,  I  was  con 
vinced,  would  be  attended  with  many  serious  disad 
vantages,  especially  if  the  object  of  my  wishes  was 
not  gratified. 

At  one  o'clock,  P.M.,  on  the  next  day,  the  wind 
was  somewhat  fresher  than  the  noon  preceding,  and 
appeared  likely  to  continue ;  our  prospect  of  bringing 
the  enemy  to  action  began  to  brighten,  as  I  perceived 
we  were  coming  up  with  the  chase  fast,  and  every 
inch  of  canvas  was  set  that  could  be  of  service,  ex 
cept  the  bag  reefs,  which  I  kept  in  the  top-sails,  in 
case  of  the  enemy,  finding  an  escape  from  our  thun 
der  impracticable,  should  haul  on  a  wind,  and  give 
us  fair  battle ;  but  this  did  not  prove  to  be  her  com 
mander's  intention ;  I,  however,  got  within  hail  of 
him  at  eight  P.M.  ;  hoisted  our  ensign,  and  had  the 
candles  in  the  bottle  lanterns  all  lighted,  and  was  in 
the  lee  gangway,  ready  to  speak  him,  and  to  demand 
a  surrender  of  his  ship  to  the  United  States  of 
America,  when,  at  that  instant,  he  commenced  a  fire 
from  his  stern  and  quarter  guns,  directed  at  our  rig 
ging  and  spars.  No  parley  being  then  necessary, 
I  sent  my  principal  aid-de-camp,  Mr.  Vandyke,  to  the 
different  officers  commanding  divisions  on  the  main 
battery,  to  repeat  strictly  my  orders  before  given,  not 
to  throw  away  a  single  charge  of  powder  and  shot, 
but  to  take  good  aim,  and  to  fire  directly  into  the 


NO.  74]        Loyal  Even  to  Death        233 

hull  of  the  enemy,  and  load  principally  with  two 
round  shot,  and,  now  and  then,  with  a  round  shot 
and  a  stand  of  grape ;  to  encourage  the  men  at  their 
quarters,  and  to  cause  or  suffer  no  noise  or  confusion 
whatever,  but  to  load  and  fire  as  fast  as  possible, 
when  it  could  be  done  with  certain  effect. 

These  orders  were  given,  and  in  a  few  moments 
I  gained  a  position  on  his  weather  quarter,  that  en 
abled  us  to  return,  effectually,  his  salute.  Thus  as 
close,  and  as  sharp  an  action  as  ever  was  fought 
between  two  frigates,  commenced,  and  continued 
until  within  a  few  minutes  of  one,  A.M.,  when  the 
enemy's  fire  was  completely  silenced,  and  he  was 
again  sheering  off.  It  was  at  this  moment  that  I 
considered  him  as  my  prize,  and  was  trimming,  in  the 
best  manner  I  could,  my  much  shattered  sails,  when 
I  found  the  mainmast  was  totally  unsupported  with 
rigging,  every  shroud  was  shot  away,  and  some  of 
them,  in  many  places,  so  as  to  render  stoppers  use 
less,  which  in  fact  could  not  be  applied  with  effect. 
I  then  gave  orders  for  all  the  men  to  be  sent  up  from 
the  gun  deck,  to  endeavor  to  secure  the  mast,  in 
order  that  we  might  get  alongside  of  the  enemy  again 
as  soon  as  possible ;  but  every  effort  was  in  vain,  for 
it  went  over  the  side  in  a  few  minutes  after,  and  car 
ried  with  it  the  topmen,  among  whom  was  an  amiable 
young  gentleman,  who  commanded  the  main  top, 
Mr.  James  Jarvis,  son  of  James  Jarvis,  Esq.  of  New 
York.  This  young  gentleman,  it  seems,  was  apprised 
of  his  danger  by  an  old  seaman,  but  he  had  already 
so  much  the  principle  of  an  officer  engrafted  on  his 
mind,  not  to  leave  his  quarters,  that  he  replied,  if  the 
mast  went,  they  must  go  with  it ;  which  was  the  case, 
and  only  one  of  them  was  saved.  I  regret  much  his 


234  <dt  Sea  [NO.  75 

loss,  as  a  promising  young  officer  and  amiable  young 
man,  as  well  as  on  account  of  a  long  intimacy  that 
has  subsisted  between  his  father  and  myself,  but  have 
great  satisfaction  in  finding  that  I  have  lost  no  other 
men,  and  only  two  or  three  were  slightly  wounded  ; 
out  of  thirty-nine  of  the  crew  killed  and  wounded, 
fourteen  were  killed,  and  twenty-five  were  wounded. 
As  soon  as  the  mainmast  went,  every  effort  was 
made  to  clear  the  wreck  from  the  ship  as  soon  as 
possible,  which  was  effected  in  about  an  hour ;  and, 
as  her  security  was  then  the  great  object,  since  it 
was  impossible  to  pursue  the  enemy,  I  immediately 
bore  away  for  Jamaica,  for  repairs. 

I  should  be  wanting  in  common  justice  were  I  to 
omit  here  to  journalize  the  steady  attention  to  order, 
and  the  great  exertion  and  bravery  shown  by  all  my 
officers,  seamen,  and  marines,  in  this  action,  many  of 
whom  I  had  sufficiently  tried  before  on  a  similar 
occasion  (the  capture  of  the  Insurgent),  and  all  their 
names  are  recorded  in  the  muster-roll  I  sent  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  the  iQth  of  December 
last,  signed  by  myself. 

THOMAS  TRUXTUN. 


75.    Letters   from   a   Boy   at   Sea 

BY  BASIL  HALL  (1802) 

DEAR    FATHER, 

After  you  left  us,  I  went  down  into  the  mess- 
room  ;  it  is  a  place  about  twenty  feet  long,  with  a 
table  in  the  middle  of  it,  and  wooden  seats  upon 
which  we  sit.  When  I  came  down,  there  were  a 


NO. 75]  A  Boy  s   Letters  235 

great -many  cups  and  saucers  upon  the  table.  A  man 
came  in,  and  poured  hot  water  into  the  tea-pot. 
There  are  about  fourteen  of  us  mess  at  the  same  time. 
We  were  very  merry  in  this  dark  hole,  where  we  had 
only  two  candles. 

We  come  down  here,  and  sit  when  we  like ;  and 
at  other  times  go  upon  deck.  At  about  ten  o'clock 
we  had  supper  upon  bread  and  cheese,  and  a  kind  of 
pudding  which  we  liked  very  much.  Some  time 
after  this  I  went  to  a  hammock,  which  was  not  my 
own,  as  mine  was  not  ready,  there  not  being  enough 
of  clues  at  it,  but  I  will  have  it  to-night.  I  got  in  at 
last.  It  was  very  queer  to  find  myself  swinging 
about  in  this  uncouth  manner,  for  there  was  only  about 
a  foot  of  space  between  my  face  and  the  roof ;  so,  of 
course,  I  broke  my  head  a  great  many  times  on  the 
different  posts  in  the  cock-pit,  where  all  the  midship 
men  sleep.  After  having  got  in,  you  may  be  sure  I 
did  not  sleep  very  well,  when  all  the  people  were 
making  such  a  noise  going  to  bed  in  the  dark,  and 
the  ship  in  such  confusion.  I  fell  asleep  at  last,  but 
was  always  disturbed  by  the  quarter-master  coming 
down  to  awake  the  midshipmen  who  were  to  be  on 
guard  during  the  night.  He  comes  up  to  their  bed 
sides  and  calls  them ;  so  I,  not  being  accustomed  to 
it,  was  always  awaked  too.  I  had  some  sleep,  how 
ever,  but,  early  in  the  morning,  was  again  roused  up 
by  the  men  beginning  to  work. 

There  is  a  large  hole  which  comes  down  from 
the  decks,  all  the  way  through  to  the  hold,  where 
they  let  down  the  casks.  The  foot  of  the  ham 
mock  that  I  slept  in  was  just  at  the  hole,  so  I  saw 
the  casks  all  coming  down  close  by  me.  I  got  up 
at  half-past  seven,  and  went  into  the  berth  (our  mess- 


236 


At  Sea  [NO.  75 


room),  and  we  were  all  waiting  for  breakfast  till 
eight,  when  the  man  who  serves  and  brings  in  the 
dishes  for  the  mess  came  down  in  a  terrible  passion, 
saying,  that  as  he  was  boiling  the  kettle  at  the  stove, 
the  master-at-arms  had  thrown  water  upon  the  fire 
and  put  it  out.  All  this  was  because  the  powder 
was  coming  on  board.  So  we  had  to  want  our  break 
fast  for  once.  But  we  had  a  piece  of  bread  and 
butter ;  and  as  we  were  eating  it,  the  master-at-arms 
came  down,  and  said  that  our  candles  were  to  be 
taken  away :  so  we  had  to  eat  our  dry  meal  in  the 
dark. 

I  am  much  better  pleased  with  my  situation  than 
I  suspected  I  would  at  my  first  coming  on  board. 
We  have  in  our  mess  four  Scotchmen,  six  English 
men,  and  two  Irish,  so  that  we  make  a  very  pleasant 
company  down  in  the  cock-pit.  We  dine  at  twelve, 
and  breakfast  at  eight  in  the  morning.  At  breakfast 
we  get  tea  and  sea  cake :  at  dinner  we  have  either 
beef,  pork,  or  pudding.  But  when  we  come  into 
a  harbour  or  near  one,  there  are  always  numbers  of 
boats  come  out  with  all  sorts  of  vegetables  and  fresh 
meat,  which  are  not  left  .long  in  the  boat,  for  the 
people  all  run,  and  buy  up  the  soft  bread  and  fresh 
provisions. 

We  midshipmen  are  upon  watch  every  night  for 
four  hours  together;  we  do  nothing  but  walk  the 
quarter-deck,  if  the  ship  is  not  sailing.  There  is 
always  half  the  crew  upon  deck  whe'n  the  ship  is 
sailing,  and  we  and  the  lieutenants  order  them  to  do 
so  and  so  about  the  ropes  and  sails.  All  the  men's 
hammocks  are  brought  upon  deck,  and  laid  in  places 
at  the  side  for  the  purpose,  both  to  give  room  for  the 
men  to  work  under  the  decks,  and  to  give  them  air. 


NO.  75]  ^4  Boy's   Letters  237 

All  the  decks  are  washed  and  well  scrubbed  every 
morning,  which  is  right,  as  they  are  often  dirtied. 

We  were  very  near  all  being  destroyed,  and 
blown  up  last  night,  by  an  alarming  fire  on  board. 
As  I  was  standing  making  my  hammock,  about  ten 
o'clock,  near  two  others  making  theirs,  we  were 
alarmed  by  seeing  a  large  burst  of  sparks  come  from 
one  corner  of  the  cock-pit.  Without  going  to  see 
what  was  the  matter,  I  ran  into  our  berth,  or  place 
where  we  mess,  and  got  hold  of  all  the  pots  of  beer 
which  the  midshipmen  were  going  to  drink.  I  re 
turned  with  these,  and  threw  them  on  the  fire,  while 
others  ran  for  water. 

When  I  came  back,  I  saw  the  purser's  steward 
covered  with  fire,  and  rubbing  it  off  him  as  fast  as 
he  could,  with  a  pile  of  burning  sheets  and  blankets 
lying  at  his  feet.  One  of  us  ran  up  to  the  quarter 
deck,  and  seizing  the  fire-buckets  that  were  nearest, 
filled  them,  and  brought  them  down.  We  also  got 
some  of  the  men  out  of  their  hammocks,  but  took 
good  care  not  to  awaken  any  of  the  rest,  for  fear  of 
bustle  and  confusion. 

The  sentry,  as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  smell, 
went  down  to  the  captain  and  lieutenants,  who  im 
mediately  came  to  the  cock-pit,  and  whispered  out 
"  Silence !  "  They  then  got  more  buckets  of  water, 
and  quenched  the  flames,  which,  as  they  thought, 
were  only  in  the  purser's  steward's  cabin.  But  one 
of  the  men  opened  the  door  of  the  steward's  store 
room,  and  saw  a  great  deal  of  fire  lying  on  the  floor. 
Water,  of  course,  was  applied,  and  it  also  was 
quenched ;  the  store-room  was  then  well  flooded. 

The  captain  ordered  the  purser's  steward  to  be 
put  in  irons  directly,  as  well  as  his  boy,  who  had 


238  At  Sea  [NO. 76 

stuck  the  light  up  in  the  cabin.  The  captain  next 
went  with  the  master-at-arms  into  the  powder  maga 
zine,  which  was  close  to  the  purser's  steward's  cabin, 
and  found  the  bulkhead  or  partition  half -burnt  through 
by  the  fire  in  the  cabin  ! 

All  this  mischief  was  occasioned  by  sticking  a 
naked  light  upon  the  beam  above  the  cabin,  from 
whence  it  had  fallen  down  and  set  fire  to  the  sheets. 
The  steward,  in  trying  to  smother  it  with  more,  had 
set  fire  to  the  whole  bundle,  which  he  then  flung  in 
a  mass  into  the  store-room.  There  was  a  watch  kept 
all  night  near  the  spot.  Nobody  has  been  hurt. 

I  am  very  sorry  for  the  purser's  steward,  for  he 
was  a  very  good-natured  and  obliging  man,  and  much 
liked  by  all  of  us.  He  gave  us  plums,  when  we 
asked  them  from  him.  He  is  broke,  I  fear.  I  will 
give  you  the  issue  in  my  next  letter. 


76.    Naval   Ballads 

CONSTITUTION   AND   GUERRIERE 

(August  19,  1812) 

IT  oft  times  has  been  told, 

That  the  British  seamen  bold, 
Could  flog  the  tars  of  France  so  neat  and  handy,  oh ! 

But  they  never  found  their  match, 

Till  the  Yankees  did  them  catch, 
Oh,  the  Yankee  boys  for  fighting  are  the  dandy,  oh ! 

The  Guerriere,  a  frigate  bold, 

On  the  foaming  ocean  rolled, 

Commanded  by  proud  Dacres,  the  grandee,  oh  ! 


NO.  76]  Naval  Ballads  239 

With  as  choice  a  British  crew, 
As  a  rammer  ever  drew, 
Could  flog  the  Frenchmen  two  to  one  so  handy,  oh ! 


When  this  frigate  hove  in  view, 
Says  proud  Dacres  to  his  crew, 

"  Come  clear  ship  for  action  and  be  handy,  oh  ! 
To  the  weather  gage,  boys,  get  her," 
And  to  make  his  men  fight  better, 

Gave  them  to  drink  gun-powder  mixed  with  brandy,  oh ! 

Then  Dacres  loudly  cries, 

"  Make  this  Yankee  ship  your  prize, 
You  can  in  thirty  minutes,  neat  and  handy,  oh ! 

Twenty-five's  enough  I'm  sure, 

And  if  you'll  do  it  in  a  score, 
I'll  treat  you  to  a  double  share  of  brandy,  oh  !  " 

The  British  shot  flew  hot, 
Which  the  Yankees  answered  not, 

Till  they  got  within  the  distance  they  called  handy,  oh  ! 
"  Now,"  says  Hull  unto  his  crew, 
"  Boys,  let's  see  what  we  can  do, 

If  we  take  this  boasting  Briton  we're  the  dandy,  oh  !  " 

The  first  broadside  we  pour'd 

Carried  her  mainmast  by  the  board, 
Which  made  this  loftly  frigate  look  abandon'd,  oh ! 

Then  Dacres  shook  his  head, 

And  to  his  officers  said, 

"  Lord,  I  didn't  think  those  Yankees  were  so  handy, 
oh!" 


NO.  76]  Naval  Ballads  241 

Our  second  told  so  well 

That  their  fore  and  mizzen  fell, 
Which  dous'd  the  Royal  ensign  neat  and  handy,  oh  ! 

"  By  George  !  "  says  he,  "  we're  done," 

And  they  fired  a  lee  gun, 

While  the  Yankees  struck  up  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy, 
oh! 

Then  Dacres  came  on  board, 

To  deliver  up  his  sword, 
Tho'  loth  was  he  to  part  with  it,  it  was  so  handy,  oh ! 

"Oh,  keep  your  sword,"  says  Hull, 

"  For  it  only  makes  you  dull, 
Cheer  up  and  take  a  little  drink  of  brandy,  oh !  " 

Now,  fill  your  glasses  full, 

And  we'll  drink  to  Captain  Hull, 

And  so  merrily  we'll  push  about  the  brandy,  oh  ! 
John  Bull  may  toast  his  fill, 
But  let  the  world  say  what  they  will, 

The  Yankee  boys  for  fighting  are  the  dandy,  oh ! 

PERRY'S    VICTORY 
(September  10,   1813) 

WE  sailed  to  and  fro  in  Erie's  broad  lake, 
To  find  British  bullies  or  get  into  their  wake, 
When  we  hoisted  our  canvas  with  true  Yankee  speed, 
And  the  brave  Captain  Perry  our  squadron  did  lead. 

We  sailed  thro'  the  lake,  boys,  in  search  of  the  foe, 
In  the  cause  of  Columbia  our  brav'ry  to  show, 
To  be  equal  in  combat  was  all  our  delight, 
As  we  wished  the  proud  Britons  to  know  we  could 
fight. 


242  At  Sea  [NO.  76 

And  whether  like  Yeo,  boys,  they'd  taken  affright, 
We  could  see  not,  nor  find  them  by  day  or  by  night ; 
So  cruising  we  went  in  a  glorious  cause, 
In  defence  of  our  rights,  our  freedom,  and  laws. 

At  length  to  our  liking  six  sails  hove  in  view, 
Huzzah  !  says  brave  Perry,  huzzah  !  says  his  crew, 
And  then  for  the  chase,  boys,  with  our  brave  little 

crew, 
We  fell  in  with  the  bullies  and  gave  them  "  burgoo." 

Though  the  force  was  unequal,  determined  to  fight, 
We  brought  them  to  action  before  it  was  night ; 
We  let  loose  our  thunder,  our  bullets  did  fly, 
"  Now  give  them  your  shot,  boys,"  our  commander 
did  cry. 

We  gave  them  a  broadside,  our  cannon  to  try, 
"Well  done,"  says  brave  Perry,  "for  quarter  they'll 

cry, 

Shot  well  home,  my  brave  boys,  they  shortly  shall  see, 
That  quite  brave  as  they  are,  still  braver  are  we." 

Then  we  drew  up  our  squadron,  each  man  full  of  fight, 
And  put  the  proud  Britons  in  a  terrible  plight. 
The  brave  Perry's  movements  will  prove  fully  as  bold, 
As  the  fam'd  Admiral  Nelson's  prowess  of  old. 

The  conflict  was  sharp,  boys,  each  man  to  his  guns, 
For  our  country,  her  glory,  the  vict'ry  was  won, 
So  six  sail  (the  whole  fleet)  was  our  fortune  to  take, 
Here's  a  health  to  brave  Perry,  who  governs  the  Lake. 


NO. 77]  The   Guerriere  243 

77.    On    Board    the   Guerriere 

BY  CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  ORME  (1812) 

I   COMMANDED  the  American   brig  Betsey,  in  the  This  is  an 

year  1812,  and  was  returning  home  from  Naples,  Italy,  ^^"tufe 

to  Boston.    When  near  the  western  edge  of  the  Grand  Of  the 

Bank  of  Newfoundland,  on  the  loth  of  August,  1812,  Guerriere 

T    r   11    •  -1  T*   •  •   i     f  •  x-  -\         /-•  •       written  by  an 

I  fell  in  with  the  British  irigate  Giiernere,  Captain  American 
Dacres,  and  was  captured  by  him.     Myself  and  a  boy  who 
were  taken  on  board  of  the  frigate ;  the  remainder  of  be'present*0 
my  officers  and  men  were  left  in  the  Betsey,  and  sent  when'the 
into  Halifax,  N.S.,  as  a  prize  to  the  Guerriere. 

On  the  igth  of  the  same  month,  the  wind  being 
fresh  from  the  northward,  the  Guerriere  was  under 
double-reefed  topsails  during  all  the  forenoon  of  this 
day.  At  2  P.M.,  we  discovered  a  large  sail  to  wind 
ward,  bearing  about  North  from  us.  We  soon  made 
her  out  to  be  a  frigate.  She  was  steering  off  from 
the  wind,  with  her  head  to  the  Southwest,  evidently 
with  the  intention  of  cutting  us  off  as  soon  as  possible. 

Signals  were  soon  made  by  the  Guerrihe,  but  as 
they  were  not  answered,  the  conclusion  of  course 
was,  that  she  was  either  a  French  or  an  American 
frigate.  Captain  Dacres  appeared  anxious  to  ascer 
tain  her  character,-  and  after  looking  at  her  for  that 
purpose,  handed  me  his  spy-glass,  requesting  me  to 
give  him  my  opinion  of  the  stranger.  I  soon  saw  from 
the  peculiarity  of  her  sails,  and  from  her  general  ap 
pearance,  that  she  was,  without  doubt,  an  American 
frigate,  and  communicated  the  same  to  Captain  Dacres. 
He  immediately  replied,  that  he  thought  she  came 
down  too  boldly  for  an  American,  but  soon  after 


244 


At  Sea 


[No.  77 


added,  "  The  better  he  behaves,  the  more  honor  we 
shall  gain  by  taking  him." 

The  two  ships  were  rapidly  approaching  each  other, 
when  the  Gtierrih'e  backed  her  main-topsail,  and 
waited  for  her  opponent  to  come  down,  and  com 
mence  the  action.  He  then  set  an  English  flag  at 
each  mast-head,  beat  to  quarters,  and  made  ready  for 


THE   "CONSTITUTION." 


the  fight.  When  the  strange  frigate  came  down  to 
within  two  or  three  miles  distance,  he  hauled  upon 
the  wind,  took  in  all  his  light  sails,  reefed  his  top 
sails,  and  deliberately  prepared  for  action.  It  was 
now  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  he  filled 
away  and  ran  down  for  the  Gncrricrc.  At  this  mo 
ment,  Captain  Dacres  politely  said  to  me  :  "  Captain 
Orme,  as  I  suppose  you  do  not  wish  to  fight  against 
your  own  countrymen,  you  are  at  liberty  to  go  below 


NO.  77]  The   Guerriere  245 

the  water-line."  It  was  not  long  after  this  before  I 
retired  from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  cock-pit. 

Of  course  I  saw  no  more  of  the  action  until  the 
firing  ceased,  but  I  heard  and  felt  much  of  its  effects ; 
for  soon  after  I  left  the  deck,  the  firing  commenced 
on  board  the  Guerriere y  and  was  kept  up  almost  con 
stantly  until  about  six  o'clock,  when  I  heard  a  tre 
mendous  explosion  from  the  opposing  frigate.  The 
effect  of  her  shot  seemed  to  make  the  Guerrtire  reel, 
and  tremble  as  though  she  had  received  the  shock  of 
an  earthquake.  Immediately  after  this,  I  heard  a  tre 
mendous  crash  on  deck,  and  was  told  the  mizzenmast 
was  shot  away.  In  a  few  moments  afterward,  the 
cock-pit  was  rilled  with  wounded  men. 

At  about  half-past  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  after 
the  firing  had  ceased,  I  went  "on  deck,  and  there  be 
held  a  scene  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe : 
all  the  Guerrtires  masts  were  shot  away,  and  as  she 
had  no  sails  to  steady  her,  she  lay  rolling  like  a  log  in 
the  trough  of  the  sea.  The  decks  were  covered  with 
blood,  the  gun  tackles  were  not  made  fast,  and  several 
of  the  guns  got  loose,  and  were  surging  to  and  fro 
from  one  side  to  the  other. 

Some  of  the  petty  officers  and  seamen,  after  the 
action,  got  liquor,  and  were  intoxicated ;  and  what 
with  the  groans  of  the  wounded,  the  noise  and  confu 
sion  of  the  enraged  survivors  on  board  of  the  ill-fated 
ship,  rendered  the  whole  scene  fearful  beyond  de 
scription. 


246 


At  Sea 


[No.  78 


78.    Capture  of  the   Guerriere 


BY  CAPTAIN  ISAAC  HULL  (1812) 


SIR, 


I  have  the  honour  to  inform  you,  that  on  the 
1 9th  instant,  at  2  P.M.,  with  the  Constitution  under 
my  command,  a  sail  was  discovered  from  the  mast 
head,  but  at  such  a  distance,  we  could  not  tell  what 
she  was.  All  sail  was  instantly  made  in  chase,  and 
we  soon  came  up  with  her.  At  3  P.M.  we  could 
plainly  see  that  she  was  a  ship  on  the  starboard 
tack,  under  easy  sail,  close  on  a  wind ;  at  half  past  3 
p.  M.  we  made  her  out  to  be  a  frigate ;  we  continued 
the  chase  until  we  were  within  about  three  miles, 
when  I  ordered  the  light  sails  taken  in,  the  courses 
hauled  up,  and  the  ship  cleared  for  action.  At  this 
time  the  chase  had  backed  his  main  top-sail,  waiting 
for  us  to  come  down. 

As  soon  as  the  Constitution  was  ready  for  action,  I 
bore  down  with  an  intention  to  bring  him  to  close 
action  immediately ;  but  on  our  coming  within  gun 
shot  she  gave  us  a  broadside  and  filled  away,  and 
wore,  giving  us  a  broadside  on  the  other  tack,  but 
without  effect ;  her  shot  falling  short.  She  contin 
ued  wearing  and  manoeuvring  for  about  three  quar 
ters  of  an  hour,  to  get  a  raking  position,  but  finding 
she  could  not,  she  bore  up,  and  run  under  top-sails 
and  jib,  with  the  wind  on  the  quarter. 

Immediately  we  made  sail  to  bring  the  ship  up 
with  her,  and  five  minutes  before  6  P.M.  we  were 
along  side  within  half  pistol  shot ;  then  we  com 
menced  a  heavy  fire  from  all  our  guns,  double  shotted 
with  round  and  grape,  and  so  well  directed  were  they, 


NO.  7s]  The    Guerriere  247 

and  so  warmly  kept  up,  that  in  fifteen  minutes  his 
mizzen-mast  went  by  the  board,  and  his  main-yard 
in  the  slings,  and  the  hull,  rigging  and  sails  were 
very  much  torn  to  pieces.  The  fire  was  kept  up 
with  equal  warmth  for  fifteen  minutes  longer,  when 
his  main-mast  and  fore-mast  went,  taking  with  them 
every  spar,  excepting  the  bowsprit ;  on  seeing  this 
we  ceased  firing,  so  that  in  thirty  minutes  after  we  got 
fairly  along  side  the  enemy  she  surrendered,  and  had 
not  a  spar  standing,  and  her  hull  below  and  above 
water  was  so  shattered,  that  a  few  more  broadsides 
must  have  carried  her  down. 

After  informing  you  that  so  fine  a  ship  as  the 
Guerritre,  commanded  by  an  able  and  experienced 
officer,  had  been  totally  dismasted,  and  otherwise  cut 
to  pieces,  so  as  to  make  her  not  worth  towing  into 
port,  in  the  short  space  of  thirty  minutes,  you  can 
have  no  doubt  of  the  gallantry  and  good  conduct  of 
the  officers  and  ship's  company  I  have  the  honour  to 
command.  It  only  remains,  therefore,  for  me  to 
assure  you,  that  they  all  fought  with  great  bravery; 
and  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  say,  that  from  the 
smallest  boy  in  the  ship  to  the  oldest  seaman,  not  a 
look  of  fear  was  seen.  They  all  went  into  action, 
giving  three  cheers,  and  requesting  to  be  laid  close 
along  side  the  enemy. 

Enclosed  I  have  the  honour  to  send  you  a  list  of 
killed  and  wounded  on  board  the  Constitution,  and  a 
report  of  the  damages  she  has  sustained ;  also,  a  list 
of  the  killed  and  wounded  on  board  the  enemy,  with 
his  quarter  bill,  &c. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  very  great  respect,  Sir, 
Your  obedient  servant, 

ISAAC  HULL. 


248  At  Sea  [NO.  79 

79.    The    Battle    of    Lake    Erie 

BY  CAPTAIN  TAYLOR  (1813) 

ON  the  morning  of  the  loth  instant  at  sunrise,  they 
were  discovered  from  Put-in-Bay,  where  I  lay  at 
anchor  with  the  squadron  under  my  command.  We 
got  under  way,  with  the  wind  light  at  southwest  and 
stood  for  them.  At  ten  o'clock  the  wind  hauled  to 
southeast  and  brought  us  to  windward  ;  we  formed 
the  line  and  brought  up.  At  fifteen  minutes  before 
twelve  the  enemy  commenced  firing ;  at  five  minutes 
before  twelve  the  action  commenced  on  our  part. 
Their  fire  was  very  destructive,  owing  to  their  long 
guns,  and  was  mostly  directed  to  the  Lawrence,  so  I 
made  sail,  and  directed  the  other  vessels  to  follow, 
for  the  purpose  of  closing  with  the  enemy.  Every 
brace  and  bow  line  was  shot  away,  and  she  became 
unmanageable,  notwithstanding  the  great  exertions 
of  the  sailing  master.  In  this  situation  she  sustained 
the  action  upwards  of  two  hours,  within  canister  shot 
distance,  and  every  gun  was  rendered  useless,  and  a 
greater  part  of  the  crew  either  killed  or  wounded. 

Finding  she  could  no  longer  annoy  the  enemy, 
I  left  her  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Yarnall,  who,  I 
was  convinced,  from  the  bravery  already  displayed  by 
him,  would  do  what  would  comport  with  the  honour 
of  the  flag.  At  half  past  two  the  wind  sprang  up, 
and  Captain  Elliot  was  enabled  to  bring  his  vessel, 
the  Niagara,  gallantly  into  close  action  ;  I  immedi 
ately  went  on  board  her,  when  he  anticipated  my  wish 
by  volunteering  to  bring  the  schooners,  which  had 
been  kept  astern  by  the  lightness  of  the  wind,  into 
close  action.  It  was  with  unspeakable  pain,  that  I 


NO.  so]       Star-spangled  Banner       249 

saw,  soon  after  I  got  on  board  the  Niagara,  the  flag 
of  the  Lawrence  come  down,  although  I  was  per-, 
fectly  sensible  that  she  had  been  defended  to  the 
last,  and  that  to  have  continued  to  make  a  show  of 
resistance  would  have  been  a  wanton  sacrifice  of  the 
remains  of  her  brave  crew. 

But  the  enemy  was  not  able  to  take  possession  of 
her,  and  circumstances  soon  permitted  her  flag  again 
to  be  hoisted.  At  forty-five  minutes  past  two,  the 
signal  was  made  for  "close  action."  The  Niagara 
was  very  little  injured,  so  I  determined  to  pass 
through  the  enemy's  line,  bore  up  and  passed  ahead 
of  their  two  ships  and  a  brig,  and  gave  a  raking  fire 
to  them  from  the  starboard  guns,  and  to  a  large 
schooner  and  sloop,  from  the  larboard  side,  at  half 
pistol  shot  distance.  The  smaller  vessels  at  this 
time  were  within  grape  and  canister  distance,  under 
the  direction  of  Captain  Elliot.  They  kept  up  a  well 
directed  fire  until  the  two  ships,  a  brig,  and  a 
schooner,  surrendered.  One  schooner  and  a  sloop 
made  a  vain  attempt  to  escape. 

Those  officers  and  men  who  were  immediately 
under  my  observation  showed  the  greatest  gallantry, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  all  others  conducted  them 
selves  as  became  American  officers  and  seamen. 


80.    The    Star-spangled    Banner 

BY  FRANCIS  SCOTT  KEY  (1814) 

O  SAY,  can  you  see  by  the  dawn's  early  light, 

What  so  proudly  we  hailed  at  the  twilight's    last 
gleaming  ? 


250  At  Sea  [NO. so 

Whose  broad  stripes  and   bright    stars   through  the 

perilous  fight, 
On   the    ramparts   we   watched  were  so  gallantly 

streaming ; 

And  the  rocket's  red  glare,  the  bombs  bursting  in  air, 
Gave  proof  through  the  night  that  our  flag  was  still 

there. 

O  say,  does  the  star-spangled  banner  yet  wave 
O'er  the   land  of   the   free  and   the  home  of  the 
brave  ? 

On  the  shore  dimly  seen,  through  the  mists  of  the 

deep, 

Where  the  foe's  haughty  host  in  dread  silence  re 
poses, 
What   is   that   which   the   breeze,  o'er  the  towering 

steep, 

As  it  fitfully  blows,  half  conceals,  half  discloses  ? 
Now  it  catches  the  gleam  of  the  morning's  first  beam, 
In  full  glory  reflected  now  shines  on  the  stream. 
'Tis  the  star-spangled  banner !  O  long  may  it  wave 
O'er   the    land  of   the  free  and   the  home  of  the 
brave ! 

And  where  is  that  band  who  so  vauntingly  swore 
That  the  havoc  of  war  and  the  battle's  confusion 

A  home  and  a  country  shall  leave  us  no  more  ? 

Their  blood   has  washed  out  their  foul  footsteps' 
pollution. 

No  refuge  could  save  the  hireling  and  slave, 

From  the  terror  of  death  and  the  gloom  of  the  grave. 
And  the  star-spangled  banner  in  triumph  shall  wave 
O'er   the  land    of   the  free  and  the  home  of   the 
brave ! 


No 


•  si]          Licking  a    Frigate          251 


O  thus  be  it  ever  when  freemen  shall  stand 

Between  their  loved  homes  and  the  war's  desola 
tion  ; 

Blest  with  vict'ry    and    peace,   may  the   heaven-res 
cued  land, 
Praise  the  power  that  has  made  and  preserved  us 

a  nation. 

Then  conquer  we  must,  for  our  cause  it  is  just. 
And  this  be  our  motto  :  "  In  God  is  our  trust." 

And   the   star-spangled   banner   in   triumph    shall 

wave 

O'er  the   land   of   the  free   and  the  home  of  the 
brave. 


8  i.    How  the  Privateer  licked  the 
Frigate 

BY  NATHANIEL  SHALER  (1813) 

Two  days  after  dispatching  the  Nereid,  I  took  a  This  is  the 

whaleman  from  London,  bound  for  the  South  Seas,  story  of  a 

but  as  she  was  of  no  value,  I  took  out  such  stores  as  private*' 

I  could  stow,  and  as  I  was  much  lumbered  with  pris-  vessel 

oners  and  baggage,  I  put  them  on  board,  and  ordered  J^,™1^  th 

her   for  Falmouth.     The  chasing   of   this  ship   had  American 

taken  me  some  distance  from  my  ground,  and  owing  f^pture 

to  calms,  I  could  not  regain  it  until  the  25th  of  last  British 

month,  when  at  sunrise  three  ships  were  discovered  vessek^d 

ahead.     We  made  all  sail  in  chase.     The  wind  was  jfnecessary. 
light,    and   we  came    up  with    them    slowly.     On   a 
nearer  approach,  they  proved  to  be  two  ships  and  a 


252  At  Sea  [NO. si 

brig.  One  of  the  ships  had  all  the  appearance  of 
a  large  transport,  and  from  her  manoeuvres,  seemed 
to  have  concerted  measures  for  mutual  defence.  The 
large  ship  appeared  to  take  the  bulk  of  an  action. 
Boats  were  seen  passing  to  and  from  her.  She  had 
boarding  nettings  almost  up  to  her  tops,  with  her  top 
mast  studding-sail  booms  out :  and  sails  at  their  ends, 
ready  for  running,  as  if  prepared  for  a  runaway  fight. 

Her  ports  appeared  to  be  painted,  and  she  had 
something  on  deck,  resembling  a  merchant's  boat. 
After  all  this  what  do  you  think  she  was  ?  Have  a 
little  patience,  and  I  will  tell  you.  At  3  P.M.  a  sud 
den  sq.uall  struck  us  from  the  northward,  and  since 
the  ship  had  not  yet  received  it,  before  I  could  get 
our  light  sails  in,  and  almost  before  I  could  turn 
round,  I  was  under  the  guns,  (not  of  a  transport)  but 
of  a  large  frigate,  and  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  her. 

I  immediately  hauled  down  English  colors,  which 
I  previously  had  up,  set  three  American  ensigns, 
trimmed  our  sails  by  the  wind,  and  commenced  a 
brisk  fire  from  our  little  battery,  but  this  was  returned 
with  woeful  interest.  Her  first  broadside  killed  two 
men  and  wounded  six  others  (two  of  them  severely, 
one  had  since  died);  it  also  blew  up  one  of  my  salt 
boxes,  with  two  nine-pound  cartridges  ;  this  communi 
cated  fire  to  a  number  of  pistols  and  three  tube  boxes 
which  were  lying  on  the  companion  way,  all  of  which 
exploded,  and  some  of  the  tubes  penetrated  through 
a  crevice  under  the  companion  leaf,  and  found  their 
way  to  the  cabin  floor  ;  but  that  was  wet,  and  the  fire 
screen  up,  so  no  further  accident  took  place.  This, 
together  with  the  fire  from  the  frigate,  I  assure  you, 
made  warm  work  on  the  Tompkins'  quarter-deck, 


NO.  sij          Licking  a   Frigate          253 

but  thanks  to  her  heels,  and  the  exertions  of  my 
brave  officers  and  crew,  I  still  have  the  command 
of  her. 

When  the  frigate  opened  her  fire  on  me  it  was 
about  half -past  three.  I  was  then  a  little  abaft  her 
beam.  To  have  attempted  to  tack  in  a  hard  squall, 
would  at  least  have  exposed  me  to  a  raking  fire,  and 
to  have  attempted  it,  and  failed  to  do  so,  would  have 
been  attended  with  the  inevitable  loss  of  the  schooner. 
I  therefore  thought  it  most  prudent  to  take  her  fire 
on  the  tack  on  which  I  was,  and  this  I  was  exposed 
to  from  the  position  I  have  mentioned,  until  I  had 
passed  her  bow ;  all  the  while  she  was  standing  on 
with  me,  and  almost  as  fast  as  ourselves,  and  such  a 
tune  as  was  played  round  my  ears,  I  assure  you,  I 
never  wish  to  hear  again  on  the  same  key. 

At  four  his  shot  began  to  fall  short  of  us.  At  half- 
past  four  the  wind  was  dying  away,  the  enemy  still 
held  it,  and  his  ship  began  to  reach  us.  We  got  out 
sweeps,  and  turned  all  hands  to.  I  also  threw  all  the 
lumber  from  the  deck,  and  about  two  thousand  pound 
weight  of  shot  from  the  after  hold.  From  about  five 
P.M.,  all  his  shot  fell  short  of  us.  At  twenty-five  min 
utes  past  five  the  enemy  hove  about,  and  I  was  glad 
to  get  so  clear  of  one  of  the  most  quarrelsome  com 
panions  that  I  ever  met  with.  After  the  first  broad 
side  from  the  frigate,  not  a  shot  struck  the  hull  of 
the  Tompkins,  but  the  water  was  literally  in  foam 
all  around  her. 

The  moment  before  the  squall  struck  us,  I  told  Mr. 
Farnum  that  she  was  too  heavy  for  us,  and  he  went 
forward  with  his  glass  to  take  another  look,  when 
the  squall  struck  the  schooner  as  if  by  magic,  and  we 
were  up  with  her,  before  we  could  get  in  our  light 


254  -^  Sea  [NO.SX 

sails.  My  officers  conducted  themselves  in  a  way 
that  would  have  done  honor  to  a  more  permanent 
service.  Mr.  Farnum,  first  Lieutenant,  conducted 
himself  with  his  usual  vigor.  Mr.  Atchison,  sailing- 
master,  performed  his  part  in  the  style  of  a  brave 
and  accomplished  seaman.  Messrs.  Miller  and  Dodd, 
second  and  third  Lieutenants,  were  not  immediately 
under  my  eye,  but  the  precision  and  promptitude  with 
which  all  my  orders  were  executed,  is  sufficient  proof 
that  they  were  to  be  relied  upon.  Mr.  Thomas,  boat 
swain,  and  Mr.  Casewell,  master's-mate,  were  partic 
ularly  active,  and  deserve  encouragement. 

The  name  of  one  of  my  poor  fellows  who  was  killed 
ought  to  be  registered  on  the  book  of  fame,  and  re 
membered  with  reverence  as  long  as  bravery  is  con 
sidered  a  virtue.  He  was  a  black  man,  by  the  name 
of  John  Johnson;  a  twenty-four  pound  shot  struck 
him  in  the  hip,  and  took  away  all  the  lower  part  of 
his  body.  In  this  state  the  poor,  brave  fellow  lay  on 
the  deck,  and  several  times  exclaimed  to  his  ship 
mates,  "  Fire  away,  boys,  neber  haul  de  color  down." 
The  other  was  also  a  black  man,  by  the  name  of  John 
Davis,  and  was  struck  in  much  the  same  way :  he 
fell  near  me,  and  several  times  requested  to  be  thrown 
overboard,  saying  he  was  only  in  the  way  of  the 
others.  While  America  has  such  sailors,  she  has 
little  to  fear  from  the  tyrants  of  the  ocean. 

From  the  circumstance  of  the  enemy's  shot  being 
twenty-four  which  I  assure  you  was  the  case,  as  we 
have  felt  and  weighed  them,  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  was 
the  Laurel,  a  new  frigate,  which  I  had  information 
of.  A  gentleman  whom  I  took,  told  me  she  was  in 
the  fleet ;  that  she  was  built  and  manned  for  the  pur 
pose  to  cope  with  our  frigates ;  that  if  she  got  sight 


NO. 82]  Going  Aloft  255 

of  me,  she  would  certainly  take  me,  as  she  was  the 
fastest  sailer  he  ever  saw. 

I  send  you  a  list  of  the  killed  and  wounded  ;   in 
every  thing  else  we  are  in  good  order  and  high  spirits. 


THE   HOUSE   OF  TIMOTHY   DEXTER. 


82.    Going  Aloft 

BY  FREDERIC  STANHOPE  HILL  (1842) 

"  Now  look  here,  you  Bob,"  said  the  mate,  one  fine 
afternoon,  "  look  up  aloft  there,  my  lad ;  do  you  see 
that  royal  yard  ?  " 

I  looked  up,  as  he  bade  me,  at  the  royal  masthead, 
where  the  yard  seemed  to  me  to  be  about  five  hun 
dred  feet  above  the  deck  where  we  stood. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  see  it." 

"  Very  well ;  now  suppose  you  go  up  there  and  take 
a  closer  look  at  it.  It's  going  to  be  a  very  familiar 
road  for  you  this  voyage,  and  you  had  better  make 
yourself  acquainted  with  the  way  at  once;"  and  he 
smiled  at  his  wit,  which  I  failed  to  appreciate  just  then. 

The  ship  was  on  the  wind,  with  all  sails  set,  and 
drawing  well,  and  she  was  reasonably  steady ;  but  as 
I  gazed  aloft,  the  mast  was  sweeping  about  in  a  very 


256  At  Sea  [NO. 82 

dazing  manner,  and  the  rigging  up  there  seemed  to 
me  about  the  size  of  a  fishing  line.  Remember,  I 
had  never  been  aloft  in  my  life.  I  hesitated. 

"  Well,  Bob,  I  am  waiting  for  you,  but  I  shan't 
wait  very  long,  my  son  ;  "  and  he  picked  up  a  piece 
of  rattling  stuff,  a  cord  about  the  thickness  of  one's 
finger,  and  ostentatiously  swayed  to  and  fro. 

I  saw  that  he  meant  business,  and  I  started  on  the 
trip  at  once.  I  have  been  aloft  since  that  beautiful 
afternoon,  many  times  in  howling  gales  of  wind  to 
close-reef  topsails ;  but  I  have  never  since  experi 
enced  the  abject  fear  I  endured  that  day  before  I 
reached  the  Bombay's  royal  yard ! 

But  I  stuck  to  it,  and  I  accomplished  the  task  at 
last,  and  my  first  lesson  in  seamanship,  the  severest 
one  of  all,  was  past.  Perhaps  some  of  my  readers 
may  think  that  I  magnify  the  undertaking ;  but,  as  I 
have  said,  I  was  a  country  lad,  and  in  those  days 
boys  did  not  have  gymnasiums,  as  they  have  now,  to 
prepare  them  for  such  tests. 

"  Very  well  done,  Bob,  for  a  first  attempt,"  said 
the  mate,  laughingly,  as  I  reached  the  deck  and 
busied  myself  in  getting  my  trousers  pulled  down  my 
legs  after  my  frantic  struggle  aloft ;  "  but  I  thought 
you  would  have  squeezed  all  the  tar  out  of  the  royal 
backstay,  you  gripped  it  so  savagely.  Oh,  you'll  make 
a  sailor  yet,  lad,  or  I'll  know  the  reason  why.  Now  go 
forward  and  turn  the  grindstone  for  the  carpenter." 

From  that  day  on  I  was  kept  constantly  in  practice 
in  going  aloft,  and  was  soon  given  the  main  royal  to 
loose  and  furl ;  so  that  in  my  watch  on  deck  no  other 
person  was  ever  sent  aloft  for  that  purpose,  and  what 
had  been  but  a  few  weeks  before  such  a  terrible 
task,  became  mere  play  to  me. 


NO. 83]  A  Ship  on  Fire  257 

83.    A  Ship  on  Fire 

BY   ROBERT   B.    DIXON  (1873) 

WHILE  Tom  was  telling  me  his  story,  he  had  been 
"  planking "  the  deck  from  rail  to  rail,  continually 
on  the  lookout,  occasionally  stopping  and  peering 
ahead,  first  from  one  bow,  then  from  the  other,  while 
I,  leaning  on  the  capstan-head,  intently  listened  to 
what  he  said.  Just  as  he  had  finished  speaking,  he 
stood  still,  and,  steadily  gazing  off  to  leeward,  said  to 
me, — 

"  Come  here,  Bob.  Your  eyes  are  younger  than 
mine:  look  off  there,"  pointing  with  his  hand,  "and 
see  if  you  can  make  out  any  thing  that  looks  like  a 
light  in  the  distance." 

I  strained  my  eyes,  trying  hard  to  see  it,  but  could 
not. 

"  That's  a  queer-looking  light  for  a  ship's  side 
light,  and  it  doesn't  look  like  a  steamer's  mast-head 
light  either,"  said  the  mate. 

The  mate  rubbed  up  the  lenses  of  the  spyglass 
with  the  corner  of  his  coat ;  and,  bracing  himself, 
brought  the  instrument  to  his  eye  on  a  level  with  the 
horizon,  and,  adjusting  the  focus,  looked  long  and 
steadily  at  the  light.  Suddenly  he  exclaimed,  "By 
all  the  mud  on  Nantucket  flats  !  That's  a  ship  on 
fire,  man.  It's  a  good  thing  you  saw  that  light.  Call 
all  hands  at  once,  and  square  in  the  yards  so  that  we 
may  stand  down  towards  them." 

The  mate,  going  aft,  reported  to  the  captain,  who 
hastily  came  on  deck.  Taking  a  quick  look  through 
the  glass  at  the  light,  which  was  now  plainly  visible 
off  our  port  beam,  the  captain  at  once  ordered  the 


258 


At  Sea  [NO.  83 


yards  squared,  and  eased  off  the  main-sheet  with  his 
own  hands. 

"  Crowd  on  every  stitch  of  canvas,  set  the  royal 
and  top-mast  stay-sail,  and  be  quick  about  it,"  cried 
out  the  captain. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  came  back  the  cry  from  the  mate, 
who  was  on  the  main  deck  urging  on  the  men.  We 
all  realized  the  peril  our  fellow-creatures  on  the 
burning  ship  must  be  in.  All  sail  was  set,  and  we 
began  tearing  through  the  water  as  fast  as  it  was 
possible  for  the  old  brig  to  go.  Every  sail  was 
trimmed,  and  drawing  to  its  fullest  extent.  Two  men 
were  stationed  at  the  wheel  to  keep  the  brig  steady, 
that  she  might  not  fall  off  too  much  from  her  course. 

We  were  all  eagerly  intent,  watching  the  burning 
craft,  as  we  approached  nearer.  She  was  now  about 
five  or  six  miles  distant;  and,  at  the  rate  we  were 
going,  we  would  be  up  with  her  in  half  an  hour. 

The  mate,  who  was  on  the  after-house  with  the 
captain,  walking  forward  a  few  steps,  sang  out,  — 

"  Lay  aft,  men,  and  get  the  boat  ready  to  lower !  " 

The  lashings  of  the  boat,  which  was  hung  at  the 
"  davies,"  were  hastily  cast  off,  and  the  boat  was 
ready  to  lower  into  the  water  at  a  moment's  notice. 
Having  now  come  within  a  mile  of  the  burning 
vessel,  we  could  easily  make  out  that  she  was  a 
large  ship,  apparently  deeply  loaded.  The  whole 
forward  part  of  the  vessel  was  in  flames ;  and  the 
fire  could  be  seen  leaping  up  through  the  fore-hatch, 
in  which  part  of  the  vessel  it  had  probably  begun. 

We  were  now  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the 
windward  of  the  burning  ship.  Our  light  sails  were 
quickly  taken  in,  the  wheel  put  down,  the  brig 
rounded-to,  .  and  the  topsails  filling  aback  brought 


NO.  83]  A  Ship  on  Fire  259 

the  vessel  to  a  stand-still.  The  boat,  containing  the 
second  mate  and  two  men,  was  lowered  away  at 
once,  the  falls  unhooked,  and  the  men,  shipping  their 
oars,  pulled  away  with  a  strong  and  steady  stroke. 
There  was  nothing  for  us  to  do  but  to  wait  anxiously 
for  the  return  of  our  boat,  and  to  find  out  how  we 
might  still  further  render  assistance.  Fortunately 
for  the  safety  of  the  boat,  the  water  was  very  smooth, 
the  weather  for  the  past  few  days  having  been 
remarkably  fine. 

It  was  a  night  I  shall  never  forget.  The  sky  was 
brightly  illuminated  by  the  glare  of  the  burning  ship, 
which  also  brilliantly  lighted  up  the  sea  for  miles 
around.  Our  boat  was  not  yet  half  way  to  the  burn 
ing  ship.  Our  men  could  be  seen  bending  at  the  oars 
with  their  utmost  strength,  and  using  every  endeavor 
so  reach  the  ship  as  soon  as  possible.  At  this  moment 
a  tremendous  explosion  occurred,  which  resounded 
again  and  again,  like  the  rattle  of  thunder  in  the 
distance.  The  main  and  mizzen  masts  fell  over  the 
side  with  a  loud  crash,  leaving  the  ship  a  dismasted 
hulk.  The  dense  smoke  from  the  explosion  now 
lifting,  we  could  see  debris  of  all  kinds  floating  in  the 
water. 

The  hull,  which  was  burning  fiercely,  was  fast 
nearing  the  water's  edge ;  and  in  a  few  moments 
more,  the  bow  rising  high  out  of  the  water,  the  ship 
went  down  stern  first. 

We  were  in  a  state  of  the  most  intense  excitement, 
wondering  as  to  the  fate  of  the  poor  fellows  that  we 
had  seen  left  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  just  before  the 
explosion  took  place.  The  smoke  which  clung  to 
the  water  having  lifted  sufficiently,  we  could  see  our 
boat  picking  her  way  through  the  floating  pieces  of 


260  At  Sea  INC.  s4 

wreck  and  cargo,  some  of  which,  still  burning,  lighted 
the  way.  The  second  mate  could  be  seen  standing 
in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  boat,  with  the  tiller-ropes 
in  his  hands,  eagerly  looking  about,  occasionally 
changing  his  course  as  something  attracted  his  atten 
tion  ;  now  stopping  the  boat  to  pull  in  some  apparently 
lifeless  object,  then  steering  away  to  continue  the 
search,  which  he  hoped  would  result  in  saving  all 
the  drowning  men. 

The  ship's  boat,  which  was  overloaded,  and  sat 
deeply  in  the  water,  had  been  slowly  pulling  towards 
us  during  this  time,  and  soon  came  under  our  lee 
quarter.  We  threw  the  men  a  rope,  fastened  a  side- 
ladder  over  the  stern  and,  with  our  assistance,  they 
were  soon  on  board.  Their  boat,  for  the  time  being, 
was  made  fast  to  the  quarter,  and  allowed  to  drift 
astern. 

One  of  the  men,  who  proved  to  be  the  first  officer, 
told  the  captain  that  their  ship  was  the  English  ship 
Oriole  of  Shields,  Capt.  Talbot,  and  that  they  were 
bound  from  Philadelphia  to  Bremen  with  a  cargo  of 
petroleum. 


84.    Sewing  under  Difficulties 

BY  ROBERT  B.  DIXON  (1873) 

THE  next  morning  I  was  as  hungry  as  a  bear,  and 
ate  my  tin-plate-full  of  "  salt  hoss,"  potatoes,  and 
bread,  washing  it  all  down  with  a  pot  of  muddy 
coffee.  Never  had  any  thing  tasted  so  good  to  me : 
and,  having  eaten  even  to  the  last  scrap,  I  had  the 
audacity  to  ask  the  cook  for  another  piece  of  beef ; 


NO.  84]     Sewing  under  Difficulties     261 


but  he  would  not  give  it  to  me,  saying  I  had  had  my 
"  stint." 

The  day  was  clear  and  warm  ;  a  stiff  breeze  was 
blowing  from  the  north-west,  and  we  were  going 
through  the  water  at  a  good  pace ;  every  thing  hold 
ing  favorable,  we  expected  to  sight  the  coast  of 
Mexico  in 
three  days. 

In  the  after 
noon  the  cook 
let  me  have  a 
little  fresh 
water  to  wash 
out  some  of 
my  clothes 
which  had 
been  wet 
through  dur 
ing  the  gale  ; 
he  also  gave 
me  a  small 
piece  of  soap ; 
and,  taking 
the  bucket  and 
my  clothes,  I 

went  forward,  and  became  a  washerman  for  the 
first  time.  I  rubbed  and  scrubbed  away  in  the  most 
energetic  manner,  using  up  my  small  allowance  of 
soap  on  the  first  piece ;  and,  besides,  pulled  off 
several  buttons,  tore  the  heel  completely  off  one 
of  my  new  stockings,  and-  ripped  a  big  slit  in  my 
shirt.  Disgusted  with  my  efforts,  I  hung  up  my 
dripping  garments,  not  thinking  to  wring  them  out, 
and  fastened  them  to  the  fore-stay,  tying  them  on 


AN   OLD    DESK. 


262  At  Sea  [NO. 84 

securely,  as  I  thought,  with  short  bits  of  spun-yarn. 
When  I  went  to  take  them  in,  I  found  two  of  my 
largest  pieces  missing :  I  had  not  tied  them  on  fast 
enough,  and  they  had  blown  away.  Taking  what 
remained,  I  went  into  my  room,  and  attempted  to 
repair  the  damage. 

Sewing  was  something  I  had  never  tried  before. 
I  had  several  needles  all  threaded  :  and  after  pricking 
my  finger  several  times,  I  got  on  very  well  with  the 
slit  in  my  shirt ;  but  sewing  on  a  button  I  found  a 
more  complicated  matter.  Going  to  the  cook,  I 
asked  his  assistance :  he  showed  me  how  it  was  done, 
and  kindly  sewed  on  several  for  me.  I  now  thought 
I  could  do  it  all  right,  so  decided  to  make  the  at 
tempt.  The  trousers  which  I  wore  possessed  on  one 
side  a  solitary  button,  to  which  for  several  days  I 
had  attached  the  two  straps  of  my  suspenders ;  and 
now  that  I  was  at  it,  and  so  confident  of  my  ability, 
I  determined  to  try  my  skill  at  sewing  on  the  button 
myself.  Taking  the  coarsest  thread  in  the  box  that 
my  mother  had  so  well  filled  for  me,  and  the  largest 
needle  I  could  find,  I  held  the  eye  of  it  towards  the 
light,  and  tried  to  thrust  the  thread  through,  but 
found  it  would  not  go  so  easily  as  I  had  imagined. 
I  tried  it  again,  first  wetting  the  thread,  and  then 
twisting  the  end  to  a  fine  point  between  my  fingers. 
This  time,  determined  it  should  go  through,  I  took 
deliberate  aim  ;  and,  giving  it  a  push,  I  grasped  the 
head  of  the  needle  and  the  thread  with  my  fingers, 
sure  that  I  had  succeeded  :  what  was  my  dismay,  on 
carefully  opening  them,  to  find  the  thread  had  passed 
to  one  side  !  After  a  few  more  attempts,  and  a  deal 
of  muttered  and  rather  obscure  conversation  with 
myself,  the  needle  was  threaded.  "  Gloria  Mundi !  " 


NO. s4]     Sewing  under  Difficulties    263 

I  shouted ;  and,  pulling  the  thread  through,  I  doubled 
it,  cut  it  off  about  a  yard  long,  and  tied  a  large  knot 
in  the  end  of  it. 

Holding  my  trousers  with  my  left  hand,  and  keep 
ing  the  button  firmly  in  place  by  a  finger  and  thumb, 
I  proceeded  with  the  difficult  part  of  the  undertaking. 
I  stuck  the  needle  through  the  hole  in  the  button, 
gave  it  a  quick  thrust  through  the  waistband,  ran  it 
into  my  side,  and  doubled  over  with  a  howl  of  pain ; 
then,  undismayed,  I  again  grasped  the  needle,  and 
gave  it  a  long  hard  pull  that  brought  the  thread  to 
the  end.  What  was  my  grief,  after  all  this  effort,  to 
see  the  button  slip  over  the  knot,  and  roll  off  onto 
the  floor!  I  had  pushed  the  needle  through  the 
wrong  way.  Trying  again,  and  finally  getting  well 
started,  I  was  just  regaining  my  spirits,  when  the 
thread  snarled  up,  caught,  and  broke.  After  prick 
ing  my  fingers  several  times  more,  and  sticking  the 
head  of  the  needle  about  half  an  inch  under  my 
thumb-nail,  I  got  the  button  sewed  on.  Having  some 
thread  left  in  the  needle,  I  wound  it  round  and  round 
between  the  button  and  the  cloth,  until  the  space  was 
about  half  filled  up,  and  then,  running  the  needle 
several  times  through  the  cloth,  cut  off  the  thread. 
Having  at  last  succeeded,  I  was  happy. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  a  grand  loafing- 
day :  nothing  was  done  except  to  wash  down  decks 
in  the  morning,  pump  the  ship,  occasionally  take  a 
slight  pull  at  the  braces,  steer,  and  keep  lookout. 
The  sailors  are  naturally  glad  when  Sunday  comes 
around.  Sunday  dinner  at  sea  is  always  a  little 
better  than  common:  "plum-duff"  with  sugar  sauce 
is  usually  supplied  forward ;  and,  if  a  cook  wants  to 
keep  on  the  right  side  of  the  crew,  he  must  be  able  to 


264 


At  Sea 


[No.  85 


make  a  good  "duff."  In  appearance  it  is  very  much 
like  a  loaf  of  brown-bread,  with  a  raisin  thrown  in 
here  and  there.  A  large  amount  must  be  made,  as 
the  sailors  expect  it ;  and  if,  for  any  reason,  the 
supply  should  be  diminished  or  cut  off,  trouble  would 
be  likely  to  ensue. 


The  ship 
Constitution 
which  took 
the  Guerriere 
had  grown 
weak  and 
old-fash 
ioned,  and  it 
was  proposed 
in  1830  to 
break  her  up. 
Holmes's 
poetry  had 
an  effect, 
and  the 
Constitution 
is  still  in 
existence. 


85.    Old  Ironsides 

BY  OLIVER  WENDELL  HOLMES  (1830) 

AY,  tear  her  tattered  ensign  down ! 

Long  has  it  waved  on  high, 
And  many  an  eye  has  danced  to  see 

That  banner  in  the  sky ; 
Beneath  it  rung  the  battle  shout, 

And  burst  the  cannon's  roar ;  — 
The  meteor  of  the  ocean  air 

Shall  sweep  the  clouds  no  more ! 

Her  deck,  once  red  with  heroes'  blood, 

Where  knelt  the  vanquished  foe, 
When  winds  were  hurrying  o'er  the  flood, 

And  waves  were  white  below, 
No  more  shall  feel  the  victor's  tread, 

Or  know  the  conquered  knee ;  — 
The  harpies  of  the  shore  shall  pluck 

The  eagle  of  the  sea  ! 

O  better  that  her  shattered  hulk 
Should  sink  beneath  the  wave ; 

Her  thunders  shook  the  mighty  deep, 
And  there  should  be  her  grave ; 


NO.  86]      A  "Japanese  Reception        265 

Nail  to  the  mast  her  holy  flag, 

Set  every  threadbare  sail, 
And  give  her  to  the  god  of  storms, 

The  lightning  and  the  gale ! 


86.    A  Japanese    Reception 

BY  COMMODORE  MATTHEW  GALBRAITH  PERRY  (1852) 

THURSDAY  (July  14),  opened  with  a  sun  that  was 
somewhat  obscured  at  early  dawn,  but  which  soon 
came  out  brightly,  and  dispelled  the  fogs  and  clouds 
which  overhung  the  land. 

All  on  board  the  ships  were  alert  from  the  earliest 
hour,  making  the  necessary  preparations.  Steam 
was  got  up  and  the  anchors  were  weighed,  that  the 
ships  might  be  moved  to  a  position  where  their  guns 
would  command  the  place  of  reception.  All,  of 
course,  were  eager  to  bear  a  part  in  the  ceremonies 
of  the  day,  but  all  could  not  possibly  go,  as  a  suffi 
cient  number  must  be  left  to  do  ship's  duty.  The 
officers,  as  had  been  ordered,  were  in  full  official 
dress,  while  the  sailors  and  marines  were  in  their 
naval  and  military  uniforms  of  blue  and  white. 

Before  eight  bells  in  the  morning  watch  had  struck, 
the  Susquehanna  and  Mississippi  moved  slowly  down 
the  bay.  Simultaneously  with  this  movement  of  our 
ships,  six  Japanese  boats  were  observed  to  sail  in  the 
same  direction,  but  more  within  the  land.  On  doub 
ling  the  head-land  which  separated  the  former  an 
chorage  from  the  bay  below,  the  preparations  of  the 
Japanese  on  the  shore  came  suddenly  into  view.  The 


266  At  Sea  [NO.SG 

land  bordering  the  head  of  the  bay  was  gay  with  a 
long  stretch  of  painted  screens  of  cloth,  upon  which 
was  emblazoned  the  arms  of  the  Emperor.  Nine  tall 
standards  stood  in  the  centre  of  an  immense  number 
of  banners  of  divers  lively  colors,  which  were  arranged 
on  either  side,  until  the  whole  formed  a  crescent  of 
variously  tinted  flags,  which  fluttered  brightly  in  the 
rays  of  the  morning  sun.  From  the  tall  standards 
were  suspended  broad  pennons  of  rich  scarlet,  which 
swept  the  ground  with  their  flowing  length.  On  the 
beach  in  front  of  this  display  were  ranged  regiments 
of  soldiers,  who  stood  in  fixed  order,  evidently  ar 
rayed  to  give  an  appearance  of  martial  force,  that 
the  Americans  might  be  duly  impressed  with  the 
military  power  of  the  Japanese. 

Two  boats  approached  as  the  steamers  neared  the 
opening  of  the  bay,  and  when  the  anchors  were 
dropped  they  came  alongside  the  Susquehanna. 
Kayama  Yezaiman,  with  his  two  interpreters,  came 
on  board,  followed  immediately  by  Nagazima  Sabo- 
roske  and  an  officer  in  attendance,  who  had  come  in 
the  second  boat.  They  were  duly  received  at  the 
gangway,  and  conducted  to  seats  on  the  quarter  deck. 
All  were  dressed  in  full  official  costume,  somewhat 
different  from  their  ordinary  garments.  Their  gowns, 
though  of  the  usual  shape,  were  much  more  elabo 
rately  adorned.  The  material  was  of  very  rich  silk 
brocade  of  gay  colors,  turned  up  with  yellow  velvet, 
and  the  whole  dress  was  highly  embroidered  with 
gold  lace  in  various  figures,  among  which  was  con 
spicuously  displayed  on  the  back,  sleeves,  and  breast 
the  arms  of  the  wearer.  Saboroske,  in  spite  of  his 
elaborate  toilette  and  his  finery,  all  bedizened  with 
gold  thread,  glossy  silk,  and  gay  colors,  did  not  pro- 


NO. 86]      A  Japanese  Reception        267 

duce  a  very  impressive  effect;  but  by  his  comical 
appearance  provoked  mirth  rather  than  admiration. 
He  had,  in  fact,  very  much  the  appearance  of  an 
unusually  brilliant  knave  of  trumps.  A  signal  was 
now  hoisted  from  the  Susquehanna  as  a  summons  for 
the  boats  from  the  other  ships,  and  in  the  course  of 
half  an  hour  they  had  all  pulled  alongside  with  their 
various  officers,  sailors,  and  marines,  detailed  for  the 
day's  ceremonies.  The  ships'  boats  followed  after  in 
order,  with  the  cutters  containing  the  two  bands  of 
the  steamers,  who  enlivened  the  occasion  with  their 
cheerful  music. 

The  guides  in  the  Japanese  boats  pointed  to  the 
landing  place  toward  the  centre  of  the  curved  shore, 
where  a  temporary  wharf  had  been  built  out  from  the 
beach  by  means  of  bags  of  sand  and  straw.  The 
advance  boat  soon  touched  the  spot,  and  Captain 
Buchanan,  who  commanded  the  party,  sprang  ashore, 
being  the  first  of  the  Americans  who  landed  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Japan.  The  rest  of  the  boats  now  pulled 
in  and  disembarked  their  respective  loads.  The 
marines  (one  hundred)  marched  up  the  wharf,  and 
formed  into  line  on  either  side,  facing  the  sea  ;  then 
came  the  hundred  sailors,  who  were  also  ranged  in 
rank  and  file  as  they  advanced,  while  the  two  bands 
brought  up  the  rear.  The  American  force  was 
composed  of  very  vigorous,  able-bodied  men,  who 
contrasted  strongly  with  the  smaller  and  more  ef 
feminate-looking  Japanese.  Their  line  extended 
around  the  whole  circuit  of  the  beach,  from  the 
further  extremity  of  the  village  to  the  abrupt  accliv 
ity  of  the  hill  which  bounded  the  bay  on  the  north 
ern  side ;  while  an  immense  number  of  the  soldiers 
thronged  in,  behind  and  under  cover  of  the  cloth 


268  At  Sea 


screens  which  stretched  along  the  rear.  The  loose 
order  of  this  Japanese  army  did  not  betoken  any 
very  great  degree  of  discipline.  The  soldiers  were 
tolerably  well  armed  and  equipped.  Their  uniform 
was  very  much  like  the  ordinary  Japanese  dress. 
Their  arms  were  swords,  spears,  and  match-locks. 
Those  in  front  were  all  infantry,  archers  and  lancers; 
but  large  bodies  of  cavalry  were  seen  behind,  some 
what  in  the  distance,  as  if  held  in  reserve.  The 
horses  of  these  seemed  of  a  fine  breed,  hardy,  of 
good  bottom,  and  brisk  in  action  ;  and  these  troopers, 
with  their  rich  caparisons,  presented  at  least  a  showy 
cavalcade.  Along  the  base  of  the  rising  ground 
which  ascended  behind  the  village,  and  entirely  in 
the  rear  of  the  soldiers,  was  a  large  number  of  the 
inhabitants,  among  whom  there  was  quite  an  assem 
blage  of  women,  who  gazed  with  intense  curiosity, 
through  the  openings  in  the  line  of  the  military,  upon 
the  stranger  visitors  from  another  hemisphere. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Commodore,  his  suite  of 
officers  formed  a  double  line  along  the  landing  place, 
and  as  he  passed  up  between,  they  fell  into  order 
behind  him.  The  procession  was  then  formed  and 
took  up  its  march  toward  the  house  of  reception,  the 
route  to  which  was  pointed  out  by  Kayama  Yezaiman 
and  his  interpreter,  who  preceded  the  party.  The 
marines  led  the  way,  and  the  sailors  following, 
the  Commodore  was  duly  escorted  up  the  beach. 
The  United  States  flag  and  the  broad  pennant  were 
borne  by  two  athletic  seamen,  who  had  been  selected 
from  the  crews  of  the  squadron  on  account  of  their 
stalwart  proportions.  Two  boys,  dressed  for  the 
ceremony,  preceded  the  Commodore,  bearing  in  an 
envelope  of  scarlet  cloth  the  boxes  which  contained 


NO. 86 j       A  Japanese  Reception        269 

his  credentials  and  the  President's  letter.  These 
documents,  of  folio  size,  were  beautifully  written  on 
vellum,  and  not  folded,  but  bound  in  blue  silk  velvet. 
Each  seal,  attached  by  cords  of  interwoven  gold  and 
silk  with  pendant  gold  tassels,  was  encased  in  a  cir 
cular  box  six  inches  in  diameter  and  three  in  depth, 
wrought  of  pure  gold.  Each  of  the  documents, 
together  with  its  seal,  was  placed  in  a  box  of  rose 
wood  about  a  foot  long,  with  lock,  hinges,  and 
mountings,  all  of  gold.  On  either  side  of  the  Com 
modore  marched  a  tall,  well-formed  negro,  who, 
armed  to  the  teeth,  acted  as  his  personal  guard. 
These  blacks,  selected  for  the  occasion,  were  two  of 
the  best-looking  fellows  of  their  color  that  the  squad 
ron  could  furnish.  All  this  parade  was  but  for 
effect. 

The  procession  was  obliged  to  make  a  somewhat 
circular  movement  to  reach  the  entrance  of  the  house 
of  reception.  This  gave  a  good  opportunity  for  the 
display  of  the  escort. 

As  the  Commodore  and  his  suite  ascended  to  the 
reception  room,  the  two  dignitaries  who  were  seated 
on  the  left  arose  and  bowed,  and  the  Commodore  and 
suite  were  conducted  to  the  arm  chairs  which  had 
been  provided  for  them  on  the  right.  They  were 
both  men  of  advanced  years,  the  former  apparently 
about  fifty,  and  the  latter  some  ten  or  fifteen  years 
older.  Prince  Toda  was  the  better  looking  man  of 
the  two,  and  the  intellectual  expression  of  his  large 
forehead  and  amiable  look  of  his  regular  features 
contrasted  very  favorably  with  the  more  wrinkled 
and  contracted,  and  less  intelligent  face  of  his  asso 
ciate,  the  prince  of  Iwami.  They  were  both  very 
richly  dressed,  their  garments  being  of  heavy  silk 


270  At  Sea  [NO. 86 

brocade  interwoven  with  elaborately  wrought  figures 
in  gold  and  silver. 

From  the  beginning,  the  two  princes  had  assumed 
an  air  of  statuesque  formality  which  they  preserved 
during  the  whole  interview,  as  they  never  spoke  a 
word,  and  rose  from  their  seats  only  at  the  entrance 
and  exit  of  the  Commodore,  when  they  made  a  grave 
and  formal  bow. 


PART    VII 
THE    ARMY 


87.    A   Soldier   in   the   Whiskey 
Rebellion 

BY  JOHN  SHIPPEN  (1794) 

MOUNT  PLEASANT  TOWNSHIP, 
Oct.  31,   1794. 

MY  DEAR  FATHER  :  I  am  now  seated  in  our  tent, 
surrounded  by  two  or  three  of  my  companions,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  ten  are  finishing  their  supper. 
It  is  composed  of  chocolate,  bread  and  butter,  and 
the  remnants  of  a  chicken  or  two,  which  gratified  our 
palates  at  noon. 

They  are  supping  on  a  little  platform  erected  by 
way  of  sunshine  table,  at  the  door. 

The  talking  and  laughing  of  those  around,  and  two 
different  songs,  one  from  each  of  the  neighboring 
tents,  combined  at  once  in  my  ear,  would  perhaps 
entirely  prevent  me  from  writing  or  thinking  at  all, 
but  that  I  have  been  so  used  to  it  for  about  two  weeks 
past.  I  scarcely  know  that  I  am  in  the  midst  of  it. 

I  might  add  before  I  proceed,  that  by  way  of  table, 
271 


272  The  Army  [NO.  s7 

I  have  placed  on  my  lap  a  little  board.  Yesterday 
morning  it  was  the  cover  of  a  provision  box  for  our 
mess,  which  had  the  ill  fortune  to  be  staved  to  pieces. 
This  was  part  of  the  damage  done  to  the  property 
of  our  company,  by  the  oversetting  of  our  wagon 
yesterday. 

I  cannot  help  thanking  you,  sir,  just  in  this  place 
for  your  thoughtfulness  and  kindness  in  sending  me 
your  little  green  waxen  taper.  It  serves  me  as  light 
on  this  occasion.  Were  it  not  for  its  aid,  I  should  be 
obliged  to  postpone  writing  till  morning. 

What  with  cooking,  eating,  feeding,  currying  and 
watering  our  horses,  attending  roll,  standing  guard, 
making  our  beds,  and  riding  out  in  the  country  by 
turns  to  procure  such  necessaries  as  we  want  and  to 
get  our  clothes  washed,  it  consumes  the  whole  day. 

When  we  march  it  requires  the  greatest  exertions 
to  have  every  thing  go  smooth.  If  this  were  not  the 
case,  we  should  be  unhappy.  Work  keeps  our  bodies, 
and  consequently  our  minds,  fully  employed. 

Things  are  most  amazingly  dear.  We  have  how 
ever  reduced  prices  somewhat  by  declaring  we  would 
not  be  imposed  upon.  We  have  plenty  of  beef  and 
flour,  sometimes  we  are  lucky  enough  to  draw  bread. 
Hay  and  oats  have  been  the  scarcest.  Hay  has  been 
less  plenty.  However,  we  are  now  getting  in  a  more 
plentiful  country. 

Our  marches  are  excessively  slow  and  tiresome. 
We  have  sat  on  our  horses,  six,  seven,  and  eight 
hours  at  a  time,  in  the  rain.  One  night,  and  that  the 
worst  since  I  left  home,  we  slept  on  straw  at  the  fire, 
covered  by  blanketing,  without  tents.  The  wagons 
had  not  been  able  to  reach  us.  I  believe  not  a  single 
person  experienced  the  slightest  injury  from  it. 


NO.  ss]     Escape  from  the  Rnemy     273 
88.    An  Escape  from  the  Enemy 

BY  JOHN  SHIPPED  (1794) 

PITTSBURGH,  Nov.   15,  1794. 

DEAR  AND  HONORED  SIR  :  I  am  sorry  I  have  not 
been  able  to  write  you  oftener  than  I  have.  The 
seldomness  of  an  opportunity,  the  real  want  of  time, 
sometimes  the  hurry  and  flurry  of  the  camp,  and  at 
other  times  our  tent,  are  some  circumstances  that 
have  prevented  my  enjoying  the  agreeable  exercise. 

Nine  prisoners  were  brought  the  other  night  by 
some  of  our  scouring  parties,  from  their  beds  in  this 
town  to  the  Pennsylvania  Camp  before  they  reached 
this  encampment.  They  are  now  under  guard. 

I  am  told  that  a  man  by  the  name  of  Hamilton, 
who  was  very  active  in  the  late  disturbances,  was 
lately  informed  on.  A  person  who  knew  him  well 
undertook  to  describe  his  dress  and  identify  him.  A 
body  of  troops  were  set  to  guard  the  house ;  their 
orders  were  to  shoot  him  if  he  came  out  and  attempted 
flight. 

In  the  meantime  the  cunning  rogue  was  busy 
changing  his  dress  for  that  of  a  hired  man,  very  dif 
ferent  from  his  own.  He  walked  out  of  the  house 
with  apparent  carelessness  and  unconcern.  He  spoke 
with  the  soldiers  and  officers.  Indeed,  he  answered 
some  questions  that  were  put  to  him  regarding  Ham 
ilton,  with  such  adroitness  that  he  escaped  through 
them  and  fled.  This  story  seems  improbable  but  I 
am  told  that  it  is  true. 

Pittsburgh  is  a  handsome  situation.  I  think  I  never 
saw  two  more  beautiful  rivers  than  the  Monongahela 
and  Alleghany.  Pittsburgh  is  amazingly  crowded  with 


274  Tfo  Army  [NO. sg 

quarters  of  generals,  colonels,  aid-de-camps,  and  other 
officers.  The  people  are  afraid  of  being  eaten  up  if 
the  army  should  rest  here,  but  I  believe  there  is  not 


the  most  distant  danger. 


89.    The    British    March   to 
Washington 

BY  GEORGE  ROBERT  GLEIG  (1812) 

Five  WE  started,  on  the  24th,  at  an  early  hour,  and  our 

thousand        march  was,  for  some  time,  both  cool  and  agreeable. 

British  troops 

landed  about  -^  °  sooner  had  we  begun  to  emerge  irom  the  woods, 

fifty  miles  and  to  enter  the  open  country,  than  an  overpowering 

Washington  cnange  was  perceived.     The  sun,  from  which  we  had 

and  marched  been  hitherto   defended,  now  beat   upon   us  in    full 

cit' t andthe  force '  anc*  the  ^ust  rising  m  thick  masses  from 
burned  the  under  our  feet,  without  a  breath  of  air  to  disperse  it, 
public  flew  directlv  into  our  faces,  occasioning  the  greatest 

buildings.  .  i        ,  .        . 

inconvenience  both  to  the  eyes  and  respiration.  Be 
fore  many  hours  had  elapsed,  numbers  of  men  began 
to  fall  behind,  from  absolute  inability  to  keep  up. 

It  was  now  that  we  experienced  the  great  useful 
ness  of  our  badly  mounted  troopers,  or  as  they  were 
called  by  the  private  soldiers,  our  cossacks.  The 
country,  from  being  extremely  wooded,  had  become 
open  on  every  side  to  a  considerable  extent,  although 
thick  groves,  instead  of  hedges,  frequently  separated 
one  field  from  another.  This  was  exactly  the  ground 
on  which  an  enemy's  cavalry  could  act  with  advan 
tage  ;  because  they  might  lie  in  ambush  behind  these 
groves,  totally  unperceived,  and  when  an  opportunity 
offered,  might  charge  our  column,  before  it  had  time 


No.  89] 


On   the   March 


275 


to  prepare  for  their  reception.  There  were  one  or 
two  places,  indeed,  where  such  events  were  confidently 
anticipated ;  whole  rows  of  paling  having  been  pulled 
up  from  the  side  of  the  road,  and  open  spaces  left, 
through  which  several  squadrons  of  horse  might 
gallop ;  and  the  consequence  was  that  every  man 
held  his  breath  in  expectation,  and  prepared  himself 
to  form  square  in  a  moment.  It  was  here,  I  say,  that 
the  mounted  drivers  became  peculiarly  useful.  They 


THE   CITY   OF   WASHINGTON    IN    l8oO. 

were  divided  into  small  parties  of  six  or  eight,  and 
sent  out  in  different  directions  to  reconnoitre,  two  of 
them  generally  taking  post  at  every  suspicious  corner, 
that  one  might  give  notice  to  the  column,  while  the 
other  watched  the  motions  of  the  enemy. 

We  had  now  proceeded  about  nine  miles,  during 
the  last  four  of  which  the  sun's  rays  had  beat  con 
tinually  upon  us,  and  we  had  inhaled  almost  as  great 
a  quantity  of  dust  as  of  air.  Numbers  of  men  had 


276  The  Army  [NO.SQ 

already  fallen  to  the  rear,  and  many  more  could  with 
difficulty  keep  up ;  consequently,  if  we  pushed  on 
much  further  without  resting,  the  chances  were  that 
at  least  one-half  of  the  army  would  be  left  behind. 
To  prevent  this  from  happening,  and  to  give  time  for 
the  stragglers  to  overtake  the  column,  an  halt  was 
determined  upon,  and  the  troops  were  led  forward  to 
a  spot  of  ground  well  wooded,  and  watered  by  a 
stream  which  crossed  the  road,  and  they  were  ordered 
to  refresh  themselves. 

The  hour  of  noon  was  approaching  when  a  heavy 
cloud  of  dust,  apparently  not  more  than  two  or  three 
miles  distant,  attracted  our  attention.  On  turning  a 
sudden  angle  in  the  road,  and  passing  a  small  planta 
tion,  which  obstructed  the  vision  towards  the  left,  the 
British  and  American  armies  became  visible  to  one 
This  was  at  another.  The  position  occupied  by  the  latter  was  one 
Biadensburg,  of  great  strength,  and  commanding  attitude.  They 
Washington,  were  drawn  up  in  three  lines  upon  the  brow  of  a  hill, 
having  their  front  and  left  flank  covered  by  a  branch 
of  the  Potomac,  and  their  right  resting  upon  a  thick 
wood  and  a  deep  ravine.  This  river  flowed  between 
the  heights  occupied  by  the  American  forces  and  the 
little  town  of  Bladensburgh.  Across  it  was  thrown 
a  narrow  bridge,  extending  from  the  chief  street  in 
that  town  to  the  continuation  of  the  road,  which 
passed  through  the  very  centre  of  their  position. 

In  the  mean  time,  our  column  continued  to  advance 
in  the  same  order  which  it  had  hitherto  preserved. 
The  road  conducted  us  for  about  two  miles  in  a  direc 
tion  parallel  with  the  river,  and  also  with  the  enemy's 
line.  In  a  short  time  we  arrived  in  the  streets  of 
Bladensburgh,  and  within  range  of  the  American 
artillery.  Immediately  on  our  reaching  this  point, 


NO. 89]  On   the  March  277 

several  of  their  guns  opened  upon  us,  and  kept  up  a 
quick  and  well-directed  cannonade,  from  which,  as  we 
were  again  commanded  to  halt,  the  men  were  directed 
to  shelter  themselves  as  much  as  possible  behind  the 
houses. 

Without  allowing  time  to  the  column  to  close  its 
ranks  or  to  be  formed  by  some  of  the  many  stragglers, 
who  were  now  hurrying,  as  fast  as  weariness  would 
permit,  to  regain  their  places,  the  order  to  halt  was 
countermanded,  and  the  word  given  to  attack ;  and 
we  immediately  pushed  on  at  double  quick  time 
towards  the  head  of  the  bridge.  'While  we  were 
moving  along  the  street,  a  continued  fire  was  kept 
up,  with  some  execution,  from  those  guns  which 
stood  to  the  left  of  the  road ;  but  it  was  not  till  the 
bridge  was  covered  with  our  people  that  the  two-gun 
battery  upon  the  road  itself  began  to  play.  Then, 
indeed,  it  also  opened,  and  with  tremendous  effect ; 
for  at  the  first  discharge  almost  an  entire  company 
was  swept  down.  The  riflemen,  likewise,  now  galled 
us  from  the  wooded  bank  with  a  running  fire  of 
musketry  ;  and  it  was  not  without  trampling  on  many 
of  their  dead  and  dying  comrades  that  the  light  brigade 
established  itself  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream. 

When  once  there,  however,  every  thing  else  ap 
peared  easy.  Wheeling  off  to  the  right  and  left  of 
the  road,  they  dashed  into  the  thicket,  and  quickly 
cleared  it  of  American  skirmishers  ;  who,  falling  back 
with  precipitation  upon  the  first  line,  threw  it  into 
disorder  before  it  had  fired  a  shot.  The  consequence 
was,  that  our  troops  had  scarcely  shown  themselves 
when  the  whole  of  that  line  gave  way,  and  fled  in 
the  greatest  confusion,  leaving  the  two  guns  upon 
.the  road  in  possession  of  the  victors. 


278  The  Army  [NO. sg 

The  light  brigade  lightened  themselves  by  throwing 
away  their  knapsacks  and  haversacks  ;  and  extending 
their  rank  so  as  to  show  an  equal  front  with  the 
enemy,  pushed  on  to  the  attack  of  the  second  line. 
The  Americans,  however,  saw  our  weakness,  and 
stood  firm ;  they  had  the  whole  of  their  artillery,  with 
the  exception  of  those  captured  on  the  road,  and  the 
greater  part  of  their  infantry  in  this  line,  and  first 
checked  the  ardour  of  the  assailants  by  a  heavy  fire, 
then,  in  their  turn,  advanced  to  recover  the  ground 
which  was  lost.  The  extended  order  of  the  British 
troops  would  not  permit  them  to  offer  an  effectual 
resistance  against  this  charge,  and  they  were  accord 
ingly  borne  back  to  the  very  thicket  upon  the  river's 
brink.  Here  they  maintained  themselves  with  deter 
mined  obstinacy,  repelling  all  attempts  to  drive  them 
through  it ;  frequently  they  followed  to  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  cannon's  mouth,  such  parts  of  the 
enemy's  line  as  gave  way. 

In  this  state  the  action  continued  till  the  second 
brigade  had  likewise  crossed  and  formed  upon  the 
right  bank  of  the  river;  when  the  44th  Regiment, 
moving  to  the  right  and  driving  in  the  skirmishers, 
debouched  upon  the  left  flank  of  the  Americans  and 
completely  turned  it.  In  that  quarter,  therefore,  the 
battle  was  won.  The  rout  was  now  general  through 
out  the  whole  line.  The  reserve,  which  ought  to 
have  supported  the  main  body,  fled  as  soon  as  those 
in  its  front  began  to  give  way ;  and  the  cavalry, 
instead  of  charging  the  British  troops,  turned  their 
horses'  heads  and  galloped  off,  leaving  them  in  un 
disputed  possession  of  the  field,  and  of  ten  out  of  the 
twenty  pieces  of  artillery. 

This  battle,  by  which  the  fate  of  the  American  capitol 


NO.SQ]  On   the  March  279 

was  decided,  began  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
and  lasted  until  four.  The  loss  on  the  part  of  the  Eng 
lish  was  severe,  since,  out  of  two-thirds  of  the  army, 
which  were  engaged,  upwards  of  five  hundred  men 
were  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  side  of  the  Amer 
icans  the  slaughter  was  not  so  great.  Being  in  pos 
session  of  a  strong  position  they  were  of  course  less 
exposed  in  defending,  than  the  others  in  storming  it ; 
and  had  they  conducted  themselves  with  coolness  and 
resolution  it  is  not  conceivable  how  the  day  could 
have  been  won. 

Our  troops  were  worn  down  from  fatigue,  and  igno 
rant  of  the  country,  so  that  the  pursuit  could  not  be 
continued  to  any  distance.  Neither  was  it  attended 
with  much  slaughter.  Diving  into  the  recesses  of 
the  forests,  and  covering  themselves  with  riflemen, 
the  enemy  were  quickly  beyond  our  reach ;  and  as 
they  had  no  cavalry  to  scour  even  the  high  road,  ten 
of  the  lightest  of  their  guns  were  carried  off  in  flight. 
The  defeat,  however,  was  absolute,  and  the  army, 
which  had  been  collected  for  the  defence  of  Washing 
ton,  was  scattered  beyond  the  possibility  of,  at  least, 
an  immediate  reunion;  and  as  the  distance  from 
Bladensburgh  to  that  city  does  not  exceed  four  miles, 
there  appeared  to  be  no  further  obstacle  in  the  way 
to  prevent  its  immediate  capture. 


AN   OFFICER   OF   THE    WAR   OF    l8l2. 


NO.  go]      From  the   W^hite  House      281 

90.    From  the  Mistress  of  the 
White  House 

BY  DOLLY  MADISON  (1814) 

TUESDAY,  August  23,  1814. 

DEAR  SISTER  :  My  husband  left  me  yesterday 
morning  to  join  General  Winter.  He  inquired  anx 
iously  whether  I  had  courage  or  firmness  to  remain 
in  the  President's  house  until  his  return  on  the  mor 
row,  or  succeeding  day,  and  on  my  assurance  that 
I  had  no  fear  but  for  him,  and  the  success  of  our 
army,  he  left,  beseeching  me  to  take  care  of  myself, 
and  of  the  Cabinet  papers,  public  and  private.  I 
have  since  received  two  despatches  from  him  written 
with  a  pencil.  The  last  is  alarming,  because  he 
desires  that  I  should  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice 
to  enter  my  carriage  and  leave  the  city ;  that  the 
enemy  seemed  stronger  than  had  at  first  been  re 
ported,  and  it  might  happen  that  they  would  reach 
the  city  with  the  intention  of  destroying  it. 

I  am  accordingly  ready ;  I  have  pressed  as  many 
Cabinet  papers  into  trunks  as  to  fill  one  carriage  ;  our 
private  property  must  be  sacrificed,  as  it  is  impossible 
to  procure  wagons  for  its  transportation.  I  am  deter 
mined  not  to  go  myself  until  I  see  Mr.  Madison  safe, 
so  that  he  can  accompany  me,  as  I  hear  of  much 
hostility  toward  him.  Disaffection  stalks  around  us. 
My  friends  and  acquaintances  are  all  gone,  even  the 
Colonel  with  his  hundred  who  were  stationed  as  a 
guard  in  this  enclosure.  French  John  (a  faithful  ser 
vant),  with  his  usual  activity  and  resolution,  offers  to 
spike  the  cannon  at  the  gate,  and  lay  a  train  of  pow 
der,  which  would  blow  up  the  British,  should  they 
enter  the  house.  To  the  last  proposition  I  positively 


282  The  Army  [NO. go 

object,  without  being  able  to  make  him  understand 
why  all  advantages  in  war  may  not  be  taken. 

Wednesday  morning,  twelve  o  clock  —  Since  sun 
rise,  I  have  been  turning  my  spy-glass  in  every  direc 
tion,  and  watching  with  unwearied  anxiety,  hoping  to 
discover  the  approach  of  my  dear  husband  and  his 
friends;  but  alas!  I  can  descry  only  groups  of  mili 
tary,  as  if  there  was  a  lack  of  arms,  or  of  spirit  to 
fight  for  their  own  fireside. 

Three  o'clock  —  Will  you  believe  it,  my  sister  ?  we 
have  had  a  battle  or  skirmish  near  Bladensburgh,  and 
here  I  am  still  within  sound  of  the  cannon!  Mr.  Madi 
son  comes  not.  May  God  protect  us  !  Two  mes 
sengers,  covered  with  dust,  come  to  bid  me  fly  ;  but 
here  I  mean  to  wait  for  him. 

At  this  late  hour  a  wagon  has  been  procured,  and 
I  have  had  it  filled  with  plate,  and  the  most  valuable 
portable  articles,  belonging  to  the  house.  Whether 
it  will  reach  its  destination,  the  "Bank  of  Maryland," 
or  fall  into  the  hands  of  British  soldiery,  events  must 
determine.  Our  kind  friend  Mr.  Carroll,  has  come  to 
hasten  my  departure,  and  in  a  very  bad  humour  with 
me,  because  I  insist  on  waiting  till  the  large  picture 
of  General  Washington  is  secured,  and  it  requires  to 
be  unscrewed  from  the  wall.  This  process  was  found 
too  tedious  for  these  perilous  moments;  I  have  ordered 
the  frame  to  be  broken,  and  the  canvas  taken  out.  It 
is  done  and  the  precious  portrait  placed  in  the  hands 
of  two  gentlemen  of  New  York  for  safe  keeping. 
And  now,  dear  sister,  I  must  leave  this  house,  or  the 
retreating  army  will  make  me  a  prisoner  in  it  by  filling 
up  the  road  I  am  directed  to  take.  When  I  shall 
again  write  to  you,  or  where  I  shall  be  to-morrow,  I 
cannot  tell!  DOLLY. 


NO.  gi]         The  Pillar  of  Glory         283 
91.    The  Pillar  of  Glory    . 

BY  EDWIN  C.  HOLLAND  (1813) 

HAIL  to  the  heroes  whose  triumphs  have  brighten'd 

The  darkness  which  shrouded  America's  name ; 
Long  shall  their  valor  in  battle  that  lighten'd, 
Live  in  the  brilliant  escutcheons  of  fame : 
Dark  where  the  torrents  flow, 
And  the  rude  tempests  blow, 
The  storm  clad  spirit  of  Albion  raves ; 
Long  shall  she  mourn  the  day, 
When,  in  the  vengeful  fray, 
Liberty  walk'd  like  a  god  on  the  waves. 

The  ocean,  ye  chiefs,  (the  region  of  glory, 

Where  fortune  has  destined  Columbia  to  reign,) 
Gleams  with  the  halo  and  lustre  of  story, 

That  curl  round  the  wave  as  the  scene  of  her  fame : 
There,  on  its  raging  tide, 
Shall  her  proud  navy  ride, 
The  bulwark  of  freedom,  protected  by  heaven ; 
There  shall  her  haughty  foe, 
Bow  to  her  prowess  low, 
There  shall  renown  to  her  heroes  be  given. 

The  Pillar  of  Glory,  the  sea  that  enlightens, 

Shall  last  till  eternity  rocks  on  its  base, 
The  splendor  of  fame  its  waters  that  brightens, 
Shall  light  the  footsteps  of  time  in  his  race  : 
Wide  o'er  the  stormy  deep, 
Where  the  rude  surges  sweep, 
Its  lustre  shall  circle  the  brows  of  the  brave ; 
Honor  shall  give  it  light, 
Triumph  shall  keep  it  bright, 
Long  as  in  battle  we  meet  on  the  wave. 


284  The  Army  [NO.  92 

Already  the  storm  of  contention  has  hurl'd 

From  the  grasp  of  Old  England  the  trident  of  war, 
The  beams  of  our  stars  have  illumined  the  world, 
Unfurl'd  our  standard  beats  proud  in  the  air: 

Wild  glares  the  eagle's  eye, 

Swift  as  he  cuts  the  sky, 
Marking  the  wake  where  our  heroes  advance ; 

Compass'd  with  rays  of  light, 

Hovers  he  o'er  the  fight ; 
Albion  is  heartless  —  and  stoops  to  his  glance. 


92.    The  First  Attempt  on  New 
Orleans 

BY  A  BRITISH  OFFICER  (1814) 

BEFORE  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  the  I3th,  the 
boats,  armed  with  carronades,  entered  the  lake,  and, 
after  a  pull  of  thirty-six  hours,  against  the  wind  and 


A   BIG   GUN    OF    l8l2. 


strong  currents,  the  boats  came,  on  the  morning  of 
the  I4th,  within  sight  of  five  American  gun-vessels, 
which  were  moored  off  Saint  Joseph's  Island. 


NO. 92]  New    Orleans  285 

The  boats  were  got  into  more  dense  order,  and 
threw  out  their  grapplings  to  get  some  refreshment, 
within  a  short  pull  of  the  enemy's  line. 

All  being  ready,  the  signal  was  given  to  advance, 
and  when  the  boats  were  in  good  range  the  Americans 
pounded  away.  The  boats'  crews  cried  "  Give  way  !  " 
and  cheered  loudly ;  hence  it  became  a  boat-race. 
The  Americans  were  moored  in  line,  at  least  four  hun 
dred  yards  apart  one  from  the  other,  while  the  attack 
ing  boats  were  a  good  deal  divided,  and  each  boat 
pulling  away  wildly  came  to  close  quarters.  The 
clouds  of  smoke  rolled  upwards,  and  the  splashing  of 
round  and  grape  shot  in  the  water,  and  the  loud  ex 
hortations  of  "  Give  way  !  "  presented  an  animated 
scene  at  mid-day.  The  British  at  last  mastered  the 
Americans,  and  captured  all  the  five  vessels  in  suc 
cession,  making  their  different  crews  prisoners,  but 
not  before  some  of  the  guns  of  the  captured  vessels 
had  been  turned  upon  those  that  still  resisted,  to  en 
able  the  boarders  to  complete  their  victory. 

By  the  2ist  all  the  land  forces  were  concentrated 
upon  the  Isle  au  Poix,  situated  about  equidistant  from 
the  anchorage  of  the  fleet  and  the  destined  place  of 
landing. 

Captain  Travers's  company  of  riflemen  were  pulled 
ahead.  Seeing  a  fire  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
creek,  a  short  way  within  its  mouth,  these  riflemen 
quietly  stepped  ashore,  and  with  a  simultaneous  rush 
they  contrived  to  capture  the  whole  of  this  lookout 
American  picket  without  a  single  gun  of  alarm  having 
been  discharged  by  either  party.  The  straggling 
boats  then  dashed  up  the  creek,  which  is  enclosed  on 
either  side  by  a  vast  sea  of  reeds.  Soon  after  day 
light,  a  few  of  the  troops  made  good  their  landing  on 


286  The  Army  [NO. 92 

the  left-hand  side  of  the  creek,  within  seven  miles  of 
New  Orleans  during  the  previous  night,  and  the  other 
boats  came  up  one  by  one.  Early  the  next  day  one 
thousand  six  hundred  British  troops  were  landed 
within  seven  miles  of  New  Orleans.  After  marching 
through  a  small  wood  they  came  upon  more  solid 
ground  near  the  head  of  the  Bayau,  and  reached  a 
house  and  plantation  near  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi. 
Here  the  same  company  of  riflemen,  which  had  taken 
the  American  picket  the  night  before,  now  again  took 
a  major  and  twenty  armed  American  militia-men,  in 
coloured  clothes,  prisoners,  within  six  miles  of  New 
Orleans,  without  a  shot  being  discharged  on  either 
side,  or  an  individual  left  at  liberty  to  carry  any  intel 
ligence  of  so  wonderful  an  arrival  of  armed  visitors 
so  near  the  city.  Unfortunately  the  captive  major 
effected  his  escape,  and  conveyed  the  news  of  the 
landing  of  the  British  to  Orleans. 

Not  a  single  obstacle  worthy  of  naming  stopped  the 
march  of  the  soldiers. 

There  was  still  five  hours'  light;  but  the  whole 
day  was  lost,  and  the  troops  halted  at  the  very  time 
they  ought  to  have  gone  on.  Two  American  vessels 
were  seen  anchored  up  the  river,  but  no  notice  was 
taken  of  them,  or  rather  no  preparations  were  made 
to  receive  them  should  they  slip  their  cables,  although 
the  spot  which  the  British  were  now  holding  was  a 
contracted  space  of  ground  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  Mississippi. 

Night  was  now  coming  on  apace ;  the  British 
troops  were  already  landed,  and  the  soldiers  were 
lounging  about. 

Fires  now  blazed  in  the  bivouac  and  all  around 
Monsieur  Villerey's  house,  and  many  lights  showed 


NO. 92]  New    Orleans  287 

the  dark  outlines  of  men  passing  to  and  fro,  and 
busily  employed  cooking  in  the  kettles  belonging  to 
the  slaves  of  the  plantation.  Some  of  the  soldiers 
were  asleep,  whilst  others  were  partaking  of  a  warm 
meal  after  a  long  fast. 

In  this  happy  state  of  security  his  Britannic  Majes 
ty's  troops  were  indulging,  their  arms  piled,  and  each 
soldier  looking  after  his  little  immediate  necessities. 
Their  van-guards  were  in  front  at  the  usual  military 
distance  when,  at  eight  o'clock,  a  heavy  splash  in 
the  river  was  distinctly  heard  by  some  of  the  troops. 
This  soon  proved  to  be  the  American  sloop  of  four 
teen  guns  which  had  been  seen  up  the  river ;  and 
now,  after  dark  came  down,  let  go  her  anchor,  and 
swung  round  her  head  to  the  current,  with  her  broad 
side  facing  the  bivouac,  within  a  few  hundred  yards. 
The  fires,  like  so  many  land-marks  or  beacons,  enabled 
the  Americans  to  point  their  guns.  All  was  prepared 
on  board  the  sloop,  and  vice  versa  all  was  unprepared 
on  shore,  when  a  sonorous  voice  was  heard  to  exclaim, 
in  broad  English,  (as  if  rising  out  of  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi),  "  Now,  give  it  'em  !  "  As  the  flashes 
from  the  cannon  reflected  for  a  moment  the  out 
lines  of  the  ominous  sloop  on  the  water,  the  round 
and  grape-shot  plunged  like  so  many  thunder-bolts 
amongst  the  astounded  troops,  and  the  balls  bore 
down  whole  piles  of  arms,  knocking  kettles  off  the 
fires,  scattering  blazing  beams  of  wood  about,  maim 
ing  some  soldiers,  and  sending  others  whence  no 
traveller  returns. 

The  morning  of  the  24th  broke  sluggishly,  and  the 
smoking  ports  of  the  sloop  (it  was  a  sore  thorn  in  the 
side  of  the  British  head-quarters)  still  projected  its 
iron  thunder  amongst  the  besieged. 


288  The  Army  [No.92 

By  the  morning  of  the  25th  all  the  scattered  re 
mains  of  the  British  force  were  landed  piece-meal, 
hour  after  hour,  by  the  prodigious  exertions  of  the 
sailors.  All  eyes  were  still  cast  on  the  American 
schooner,  whose  sides  still  smoked  by  day,  and  at 
night  vomited  iron  harbingers  from  its  ports  into  the 
bivouac  of  the  British,  so  that,  in  point  of  fact,  the 
city  of  New  Orleans  and  General  Jackson  now  became 
only  a  secondary  consideration,  and  the  discussion  was 
how  to  get  rid  of  this  watery  dragon  ;  for  the  destruc 
tion  of  which  heavy  guns  were  sent  for  to  the  fleet,  if 
possible,  to  blow  her  out  of  the  water. 

General  Jackson  profited  by  this  floating  deception, 
placed  there  to  allure  the  British  general,  and  took 
advantage  of  his  own  manoeuvre,  which  fortunately 
for  him  had  the  desired  effect;  and  he  prolonged  the 
broad  ditch  by  making  a  cut  across  the  high  road  to 
the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  about  one  hundred  yards 
behind  the  crescent  battery  on  the  high  road. 

This  work  was  executed  as  a  sort  of  forlorn  hope 
to  save  New  Orleans  even  for  a  day.  Behind  this 
cut  and  the  ditch,  the  American  general  promptly 
constructed  a  barricade  nearly  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  in  length,  extending  from  the  Mississippi  on  his 
right  to  the  impassable  wood  on  his  left,  all  across  a 
flat  and  naked  plain,  and  within  a  few  hundred  yards 
of  the  British  out-guards. 

The  manner  of  putting  this  barricade  together  was 
most  curious :  in  the  first  instance  detached  barrels 
and  sugar  casks  were  brought  up  and  left  here  and 
there  standing  isolated,  the  apertures  between  them 
being  filled  up  with  mud  and  all  sorts  of  odds  and 
ends  placed  along  the  edge  of  the  ditch  so  as  to 
form  a  temporary  screen  to  protect  the  defenders 


NO. 92]  New    Orleans  289 

against  musketry  ;  the  barricade  being  hardly  breast 
high,  looked  like  some  contemptible  expedient,  but 
the  ditch  ten  feet  wide  and  two  or  three  feet  deep 
protected  this  barricade  in  front,  and  made  a  pretty 
tolerable  field  position. 

Four  heavy  pieces  of  cannon  were  now  in  the 
crescent  battery,  which  made  it  somewhat  more 
respectable.  The  rude  barricade  as  a  war  stratagem 
was  botched  together  in  a  sorry  straggling  way,  but 
was  added  to  and  improved  in  strength  from  hour  to 
hour,  and  the  interstices  betwixt  the  casks  and  other 
crevices  of  these  rough  and  ready  materials  were 
caulked  up  with  mud  and  other  materials.  All  this 
labour  was  executed,  without  any  annoyance  from  the 
British  advanced  posts,  within  one  mile  and  a  quarter 
of  their  head-quarters,  by  a  defeated  mass  of  peas 
antry,  who  only  stood  their  ground  because  no  one 
molested  them. 

On  the  2/th,  the  besieged  blew  up  the  American 
sloop  from  the  battery  with  hot  balls,  and  her  timbers 
floated  down  the  turbid  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  but 
not  before  her  crew  had  taken  to  their  boats  and  got 
safely  ashore. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  at  day-break,  General 
Gibbs,  with  his  brigade,  advanced  towards  the  left  of 
the  American  barricades,  and  General  Keane  in  like 
manner  along  the  high  road  parallel  to  the  river,  un 
housed  an  American  picket  from  a  building  a  few 
hundred  yards  in  front  of  their  crescent  battery, 
which  the  enemy  set  on  fire  to  make  more  smoke. 

General  Keane's  brigade  was  steadily  advancing, 
the  rifle-corps  leading ;  but  when  within  good  cannon 
range,  the  crescent  battery,  with  full  charge  of  pow 
der  and  ball,  resounded  a  loud  defiance,  and  some 


290  The  Army  [No.92 

cannon  balls,  striking  the  centre  of  the  middle  regi 
ment  of  the  British,  knocked  down  the  soldiers,  and 
tossed  them  into  the  air  like  old  bags.  This  column, 
to  the  utter  astonishment  of  officers  and  soldiers,  was 
ordered  to  halt  just  as  their  blood  was  up  ready  for 
the  usual  rush.  And  the  light  field-pieces  began  an 
interchange  with  the  once  significant  crescent  bat 
tery.  The  American  ship  of  sixteen  guns  now  threw 
its  broadside  obliquely  in  conjunction  with  the  guns 
of  the  battery  in  front,  that  nearly  destroyed  all  the 
artillery-men  working  the  two  British  guns,  and  soon 
stopped  their  remonstrances ;  a  few  sailors  finally 
dragged  the  guns  off  the  field  of  contention,  the 
gunners  being  nearly  all  killed  or  wounded.  At  first 
the  centre  of  the  column  on  the  high  road  was  thrown 
into  some  confusion,  but  was  soon  restored  to  order. 

A  battery  was  erected  by  the  British  seven  hundred 
yards  from  the  crescent  battery  of  the  Americans,  and 
on  the  ist  of  January,  1815,  his  Britannic  Majesty's 
troops  were  again  ordered  to  advance.  A  dense  white 
fog,  however,  for  a  time  obscured  all  objects,  and  was 
one  of  the  luckiest  circumstances  that  could  have 
happened  for  the  advantage  of  the  attacking  body. 
When  it  cleared  off  the  heavy  guns  of  the  British 
opened  with  such  effect  that  most  of  the  Americans 
deserted  the  crescent  battery,  and  a  great  deal  of 
confusion  happened  within  their  main  lines  ;  for  this 
being  the  first  time  they  had  felt  the  effects  of  round 
shot  of  any  magnitude,  and  many  of  them  went  off 
towards  New  Orleans,  while  the  bravest  crouched  be 
hind  their  epaulments  ready  to  stand  up  to  repel  the 
expected  assault  For  more  than  ten  minutes  they 
did  not  fire  a  gun,  and  the  British  cannoniers  had  the 
fight  all  to  themselves.  A  whole  brigade  of  infantry 


NO.  93]         Battle  of  the  Thames        2  9  i 

close  at  hand  burned  to  be  ordered  on  to  the  assault, 
and  with  loud  words  demanded  why  they  were  not 
led  on,  when  ladders  and  other  materials  had  been 
brought  up  for  the  passage  of  that  ditch.  But  to 
their  utter  astonishment  no  such  order  was  given, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  British  troops,  rushing 
on  under  cover  of  their  guns  with  a  few  planks, 
would  have  obtained  possession  of  the  enemy's  works 
with  facility. 

The  Americans,  seeing  that  no  one  came  to  molest 
them,  first  opened  one  gun,  then  a  second,  until  all 
their  artillery  was  subsequently  manned.  The  weak 
defences  of  the  British  mud  battery  were  pierced 
through  and  through,  some  of  its  guns  dismounted, 
and  a  fresh  batch  of  artillerymen  nearly  all  killed 
and  wounded  ;  its  fire  was  silenced,  and  at  night  the 
residue  of  its  guns  were  either  dragged  away  or 
buried.  Thus  ended  the  second  siege  of  the  crescent 
battery. 

It  was  now  considered  by  the  British  general  that 
the  American  barricade  was  too  strong  to  attack  in 
front  with  his  present  force. 


93.    Battle  of  the  Thames 

BY  HENRY  M.  BRACKENRIDGE  (1813) 

ON  the  5th  of  October,  the  pursuit  was  renewed ; 
they  captured  provisions  and  ammunition  to  a  con 
siderable  amount,  and  reached  the  place  where  the 
enemy  had  encamped  the  night  before.  Colonel 
Wood  was  now  sent  forward  by  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  to  reconnoitre  the  British  and  Indian  forces  ; 


2Q2 


The  Army 


[No.  93 


and  he  very  soon  returned  with  information,  that  they 
had  made  a  stand  a  few  miles  distant,  and  were  ready 
for  action.  General  Proctor  had  drawn  up  his  regu 
lar  forces  across  a  narrow  strip  of  land  covered  with 
beech-trees,  flanked  on  one  side  by  a  swamp  and  on 
the  other  by  the  river ;  their  left  rested  on  the  river 
supported  by  the  larger  portion  of  their  artillery,  and 
their  right  on  the  swamp.  Beyond  the  swamp,  and 
between  it  and  another  morass  still  further  to  the 


UNDER   FIRE. 


right,  were  the  Indians  under  Tecumseh.  This  posi 
tion  was  skilfully  chosen  by  Proctor,  with  regard  to 
locality,  and  the  character  of  his  troops ;  but  he  com 
mitted  an  irreparable  oversight  in  neglecting  to  fortify 
his  front  by  a  ditch,  and  in  drawing  up  his  troops 
"  in  open  order,  that  is,  with  intervals  of  three  or  four 
feet  between  the  files "  -  a  mode  of  array  which 
could  not  resist  a  charge  of  cavalry.  His  whole  force 
consisted  of  about  eight  hundred  regular  soldiers  and 
two  thousand  Indians. 


NO.  93]        Battle  of  the  Thames        293 

The  American  troops,  amounting  to  something 
more  than  three  thousand  men,  were  now  disposed 
in  order  of  battle.  General  Harrison  had  at  first 
ordered  the  mounted  men  to  form  in  two  lines,  op 
posite  to  the  Indians ;  but  he  soon  observed  that  the 
underwood  here  was  too  close  for  cavalry  to  act  with 
any  effect.  He  was  aware  of  the  egregious  error 
committed  by  Proctor  as  above  mentioned,  and  well 
knew  the  dexterity  of  backwoodsmen  in  riding,  and 
in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  in  forest  ground,  so  he  immedi 
ately  determined  that  one  battalion  of  the  mounted 
regiment  should  charge  on  the  British  regulars.  The 
other  was  left  to  confront  the  Indians.  The  requisite 
arrangements  were  made,  and  the  army  had  moved 
forward  but  a  short  distance,  when  the  enemy  fired. 
This  was  the  signal  for  our  cavalry  to  charge ;  and, 
although  the  men  and  horses  in  the  front  of  the  col 
umn  at  first  recoiled,  they  soon  recovered  themselves, 
and  the  whole  body  dashed  through  the  enemy  with 
irresistible  force.  Instantly  forming  in  the  rear  of 
the  British,  they  poured  on  them  a  destructive  fire, 
and  were  about  to  make  a  second  charge,  when  the 
British  officers,  finding  it  impossible,  from  the  nature 
of  the  ground  and  the  panic  which  prevailed,  to  form 
their  broken  ranks,  immediately  surrendered. 

On  the  left,  the  battle  was  begun  by  Tecumseh 
with  great  fury.  The  galling  fire  of  the  Indians  did 
not  check  the  advance  of  the  American  columns ; 
but  the  charge  was  not  successful,  from  the  miry 
character  of  the  soil  and  the  number  and  closeness 
of  the  thickets  which  covered  it.  In  these  circum 
stances,  Colonel  Johnson  ordered  his  men  to  dis 
mount,  and  leading  them  up  a  second  time,  succeeded 
after  a  desperate  contest  in  breaking  through  the 


The  Army  [NO.  93 

line  of  the  Indians  and  gaining  their  rear.  Notwith 
standing  this,  and  that  the  colonel  now  directed  his 
men  to  fight  them  in  their  own  mode,  the  Indians 
were  unwilling  to  yield  the  day ;  they  quickly  col 
lected  their  principal  strength  on  the  right  and  at 
tempted  to  penetrate  the  line  of  infantry.  At  first 
they  made  an  impression  on  it ;  but  they  were  soon 
repulsed  by  the  aid  of  a  regiment  of  Kentucky  volun 
teers  led  on  by  the  aged  Shelby,  who  had  been  posted  at 
the  angle  formed  by  the  front  line  and  Desha's  division. 
The  combat  now  raged  with  increasing  fury ;  the 
Indians,  to  the  number  of  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred, 
seeming  determined  to  maintain  their  ground  to  the 
last.  The  terrible  voice  of  Tecumseh  could  be  dis 
tinctly  heard,  encouraging  his  warriors;  and  although 
beset  on  every  side  except  that  of  the  morass,  they 
fought  with  more  determined  courage  than  they  had 
ever  before  exhibited.  An  incident,  however,  now 
occurred  which  eventually  decided  the  contest.  The 
gallant  Colonel  Johnson  having  rushed  towards  the 
spot  where  the  Indians,  clustering  around  their  un 
daunted  chief,  appeared  resolved  to  perish  by  his  side, 
his  uniform,  and  the  white  horse  which  he  rode, 
rendered  him  a  conspicuous  object.  In  a  moment 
his  holsters,  dress  and  accoutrements  were  pierced 
with  a  hundred  bullets,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground 
severely  wounded.  Tecumseh,  meanwhile,  was  killed 
in  the  melee.  After  the  rescue  and  removal  of  the 
wounded  colonel,  the  command  devolved  on  Major 
Thompson.  The  Indians  maintained  the  fight  for 
more  than  an  hour ;  but  when  they  no  longer  heard 
the  voice  of  their  great  captain,  they  at  last  gave  way 
on  all  sides.  Near  the  spot  where  this  struggle  took 
place,  thirty  Indians  and  six  whites  were  found  dead. 


NO.  93]         Battle  of  the  Thames         295 

Thus  fell  Tecumseh,  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
warriors  that  ever  raised  the  tomahawk  against  us ; 
and  with  him  faded  the  last  hope  of  our  Indian  ene 
mies.  This  untutored  man  was  the  determined  foe 
of  civilization,  and  had  for  years  been  laboring  to 
unite  all  the  Indian  tribes  in  resisting  the  progress 
of  our  settlements  to  the  westward.  Had  such  a  man 
opposed  the  European  colonists  on  their  first  arrival, 
this  continent  might  still  have  been  a  wilderness. 
Tecumseh  fell  respected  by  his  enemies  as  a  great 
and  magnanimous  chief.  Although  he  seldom  took 
prisoners  in  battle,  he  was  merciful  to  those  who  had 
been  taken  by  others ;  and,  at  the  defeat  of  Dudley, 
actually  put  to  death  a  chief  whom  he  found  engaged 
in  the  work  of  massacre.  He  had  been  in  almost 
every  engagement  with  the  whites  since  Harmer's 
defeat  in  1791,  although  at  his  death  he  scarcely  ex 
ceeded  forty  years  of  age.  Tecumseh  had  received 
the  stamp  of  greatness  from  the  hand  of  nature ; 
and  had  his  lot  been  cast  in  a  different  state  of  soci 
ety,  he  would  have  shone  as  one  of  the  most  dis 
tinguished  of  men.  He  was  endowed  with  a  powerful 
mind,  and  with  the  soul  of  a  hero.  There  was  an 
uncommon  dignity  in  his  countenance  and  manners : 
by  the  former  he  could  easily  be  discovered,  even 
after  death,  among  the  rest  of  the  slain,  for  he  wore 
no  insignia  of  distinction.  When  girded  with  a  silk 
sash,  and  told  by  General  Proctor  that  he  was  made 
a  brigadier-general  in  the  British  service  for  his 
conduct  at  Brownstown  and  Magagua,  he  refused 
the  title.  Born  without  title  to  command,  such  was 
his  native  greatness,  that  every  tribe  yielded  submis 
sion  to  him  at  once,  and  no  one  ever  disputed  his 
precedence.  Subtle  and  fierce  in  war,  he  was  pos- 


2g6 


The  Army 


[No.  94 


sessed  of  uncommon  eloquence.  Invective  was  his 
chief  merit,  as  we  had  frequent  occasion  to  experi 
ence.  He  gave  a  remarkable  instance  of  its  power 
in  the  reproaches  which  he  applied  to  General  Proctor, 
in  a  speech  delivered  a  few  days  before  his  death  ;  a 
copy  of  which  was  found  among  the  papers  of  the 
British  officers.  His  form  was  uncommonly  elegant. 
His  stature  was  about  six  feet,  and  his  limbs  were 
perfectly  proportioned. 

In  this  engagement,  the  British  loss  was  nineteen 
regulars  killed,  fifty  wounded,  and  about  six  hundred 
taken  prisoners.  The  Indians  left  one  hundred  and 
twenty  on  the  field.  The  American  loss,  in  killed 
and  wounded,  amounted  to  upwards  of  fifty.  Several 
pieces  of  brass  cannon,  the  trophies  of  our  Revolu 
tion,  and  which  had  been  surrendered  by  Hull  at 
Detroit,  were  once  more  restored  to  our  country. 
General  Proctor  had  basely  deserted  his  troops  as 
soon  as  the  charge  was  made ;  and  though  hotly 
pursued,  was  enabled,  by  means  of  swift  horses  and 
his  knowledge  of  the  country,  to  escape  down  the 
Thames.  His  carriage  with  his  private  papers,  how 
ever,  was  taken. 


94.    Campaigning  on  the  Niagara 

BY  CAPTAIN   SAMUEL  WHITE   (1814) 

BEFORE  day-break  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth,  it 
was  ascertained  that  the  Colonel  to  whom  orders 
had  been  sent  by  General  Porter  to  supply  the  troops 
with  three  days'  provisions,  had  neglected  that  neces 
sary  precaution  ;  the  consequence  was,  that  a  boat 


NO. 94]        Niagara    Campaign         297 

had  to  be  despatched  to  Buffalo   with  an  order  for  the  state 

provisions,   which,   however,  did   not    reach  us  until  me^Vinva- 

about  two  o'clock  in  the  day,  when  we  were  supplied  sionofthe 

with  a  couple  of  biscuits  each,  being  the  first  which  Britishonthe 

r  '  3  northern 

a  majority  of  us  had  eaten  that  day.     At  four  o  clock  frontier. 

we  came  in  view  of  the  encampment  of  our  regular  White  was  a 

troops,  and  halted.     We  had  not  been  many  minutes  mSSTin 

at  rest  before  a  requisition  was  made  for  volunteers  Adams 

to  turn  out  and  drive  off  the  hostile  Indians  who  had  ^SSdat^ 

been  firing  on   our  pickets.     Fatigued  as  we  were,  Buffalo  in 

having  traveled  that  day  about  eighteen  miles  with-  ^meforthe 

&  .  .      .  J     .  Niagara 

out  rations,  it  is  not  surprising  that  not  much  alac-  campaign, 
rity  was  shown  by  the  men  to  become  of  the  party.   butwas 
Lieutenant  Gilleland,  Ensign  Graff,  the  surgeon  of 
the  volunteers,  and  myself,  laid  aside  our  swords,  and  the  battle  of 
borrowing  rifles,  volunteered  as  privates;  about  three  h^de^ 
hundred  of  the  volunteers  of  our  own  regiment  also  scribed. 
came  forward,  and  these  were  strengthened  by  sev 
eral  hundred  Indians,  the  whole  under  the  command 
of  General  Porter,  Colonel  Bull,  and  Major  Galloway. 
I  had  eaten  nothing  except  one  biscuit  from  the  time 
I  had  my  dinner  the  day  before  at  Buffalo,  and  had 
even  given  away  the  balance  of  my  store,  expecting 
to  get  a  good  supper  that  evening ;  but  I  was  doomed 
to  be  mistaken. 

Orders  were  issued  that  every  white  man  who  went 
out  under  General  Porter  should  leave  his  hat,  and  go 
uncovered.  The  Indians  tied  up  their  heads  with 
pieces  of  white  muslin,  and  it  was  really  diverting  to 
see  them  making  their  preparations  for  battle.  After 
having  tied  up  their  heads,  which  process  must  have 
consumed  at  least  fifty  yards  of  fine  muslin,  they 
painted  their  faces,  making  red  streaks  above  their 
eyes  and  foreheads ;  they  then  went  to  old  logs  and 


298  The  Army  [NO. 94 

burnt  stumps,  and  spitting  upon  their  hands,  rubbed 
them  upon  the  burnt  part,  until  they  were  perfectly 
black,  when  they  drew  their  fingers  down  their 
cheeks,  leaving  large  black  streaks ;  after  this  prep 
aration  they  were  ready  for  action  or  march.  We 
proceeded  in  single  file  through  a -lane  to  our  left, 
and  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour  came  in  contact 
with  the  enemy,  who  were  posted  in  the  woods  on 
our  right,  and  completely  concealed  from  our  obser 
vation.  Immediately  upon  our  entering  a  long  nar 
row  path,  they  opened  upon  us  with  a  pretty  brisk 
fire ;  we  faced  to  the  right,  and  pressing  forward, 
put  them  to  rout.  They  continued  their  flight  and 
we  pursued  them,  keeping  up  a  smart  fire,  which, 
from  the  manner  of  the  position,  did  considerable 
damage,  until  they  drew  us  into  rather  a  perilous 
situation. 

The  whole  British  army  had  crossed  the  bridge  at 
Chippewa,  and  drawn  up  their  forces  under  cover  of 
a  piece  of  woods,  near  the  Niagara  River,  and  run 
ning  parallel  with  the  Chippewa  Creek,  directly  across 
the  creek,  where  the  British  batteries  commanded  the 
same  position.  Driving  the  Indians  rapidly  through 
the  woods,  we  at  length  came  in  full  contact  with  the 
British  regular  line,  which,  in  conjunction  with  the 
batteries,  opened  a  most  tremendous  fire.  From 
the  clouds  of  dust  and  heavy  firing,  General  Brown 
concluded  that  the  entire  force  of  the  British  was 
in  motion,  and  gave  orders  to  General  Scott  to 
advance  with  his  brigade  and  Towson's  artillery, 
and  meet  the  enemy  on  the  plain  in  front  of  the 
American  camp.  In  a  few  minutes  Scott  was  in 
close  action  with  a  far  superior  force  of  regulars. 
Major  Jessup,  commanding  the  battalion  on  the 


NO. 94]         Niagara    Campaign,         299 

left  flank,  finding  himself  pressed  both  in  front  and 
rear,  and  his  men  falling  fast,  ordered  his  battal 
ion  to  support  arms  and  advance,  which  bold 
order,  in  the  midst  of  the  enemy's  hottest  fire,  was 
obeyed  with  a  promptness  which  did  them  honour. 
Having  advanced  within  twenty  payees  of  the  enemy's 
line,  they  were  ordered  to  level  and  fire,  causing  such 
havoc  in  the  enemy's  line  as  forced  them  to  retreat. 
About  this  time  also  one  of  our  hot  shot  fell  into  the 
enemy's  magazine  and  blew  it  up.  This  occurrence 
silenced  their  artillery ;  the  whole  British  force  fell 
back,  and  being  closely  pressed  by  the  American 
troops,  retreated  in  confusion  to  their  entrenchment, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  General  Brown 
immediately  ordered  the  ordnance  to  be  brought  up 
with  the  intention  of  forcing  the  works,  but  upon 
more  mature  reflection,  and  by  the  advice  of  his 
officers,  he  was  induced  to  order  the  forces  back 
to  camp. 

In  this  engagement,  which  resulted  so  disastrously 
to  the  British,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  army, 
though  burning  for  the  conflict,  had  not  an  oppor 
tunity  of  coming  into  action.  The  conquerors  of  the 
veterans  of  France,  were,  in  fact,  defeated  by  a  de 
tachment  from  the  American  army.  The  only  troops 
engaged  on  the  part  of  General  Brown,  were  Scott's 
brigade,  and  the  Pennsylvania  volunteers,  commanded 
by  Porter.  The  conduct  of  these  men  was  heroic 
in  the  extreme :  wherever  they  directed  their  fire  or 
pointed  their  bayonets,  the  boasted  "  conquerors  of 
the  peninsula "  fell  or  fled ;  the  volunteers,  in  par 
ticular,  manifested  all  the  coolness  and  bravery  of 
regular  troops.  Such  was  the  punishment  they  re 
ceived  in  this  engagement,  that,  although  battle  was 


300  The  ^4rmy  [NO. 95 

offered  them  again  on  their  own  terms,  they  shrunk 
from  its  acceptance. 

The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  nearly  six  hundred 
killed,  as  was  ascertained  some  time  afterwards, 
although  they  were  never  willing  to  acknowledge  it 
so  great ;  they  removed,  however,  off  the  field,'  nearly 
five  hundred  wounded  men  before  their  retreat,  and 
the  loss  in  the  woods  of  the  Canadian  militia,  by  our 
scouting  party,  was  upwards  of  eighty  killed.  It  was 
not  known  how  many  Indians  fell,  but  their  loss  must 
have  been  very  great.  When  our  scouting  party  re 
turned,  there  were  but  twenty  men  missing,  five  of 
of  that  number  were  prisoners,  four  whites  and  one 
Indian. 


95.    The  American  Flag 

BY  JOSEPH  RODMAN  DRAKE  (1818) 

WHEN  Freedom  from  her  mountain  height, 
Unfurl'd  her  standard  to  the  air, 
She  tore  the  azure  robe  of  night, 
And  set  the  stars  of  glory  there ! 
She  mingled  with  its  gorgeous  dyes 
The  milky  baldric  of  the  skies, 
And  striped  its  pure,  celestial  white 
With  streakings  of  the  morning  light ; 
Then  from  his  mansion  in  the  sun, 
She  call'd  her  eagle  bearer  down, 
And  gave  into  his  mighty  hand 
The  symbol  of  her  chosen  land. 

Majestic  monarch  of  the  cloud ! 
Who  rear'st  aloft  thy  regal  form, 


NO. g5]         The  American  Flag         301 

To  hear  the  tempest  trumping  loud, 
And  see  the  lightning-lances  driven, 
When  stride  the  warriors  of  the  storm, 
And  rolls  the  thunder-drum  of  heaven ! 
Child  of  the  sun !  to  thee  'tis  given 


WHERE  THE   FIRST  AMERICAN   FLAG   WAS   MADE. 

To  guard  the  banner  of  the  free, 
To  hover  in  the  sulphur  smoke, 
To  ward  away  the  battle  stroke, 
And  bid  its  blendings  shine  afar, 
Like  rainbows  on  the  cloud  of  war, 
The  harbingers  of  victory. 


302  The  Army  [NO. 95 

Flag  of  the  brave !     Thy  folds  shall  fly, 
The  sign  of  hope  and  triumph  high ! 
When  speaks  the  signal  trumpet  tone, 
And  the  long  line  comes  gleaming  on, 
(Ere  yet  the  life-blood,  warm  and  wet, 
Has  dimm'd  the  glistening  bayonet,) 
Each  soldier's  eye  shall  brightly  turn, 
To  where  thy  meteor  glories  burn, 
And,  as  his  springing  steps  advance, 
Catch  war  and  vengeance  from  the  glance ! 
And  when  the  cannon-mouthings  loud, 
Heave  in  wild  wreaths  the  battle-shroud, 
And  gory  sabres  rise  and  fall, 
Like  shoots  of  flame  on  midnight  pall,  — 
There  shall  thy  victor  glances  glow, 
And  cowering  foes  shall  sink  beneath 
Each  gallant  arm  that  strikes  below 
That  lovely  messenger  of  death  ! 

Flag  of  the  seas  !  on  ocean's  wave, 
Thy  stars  shall  glitter  o'er  the  brave, 
When  death,  careering  on  the  gale, 
Sleeps  darkly  round  the  bellied  sail, 
And  frighted  waves  rush  wildly  back 
Before  the  broadside's  reeling  rack,  — 
The  dying  wanderer  of  the  sea 
Shall  look,  at  once,  to  heaven  and  thee, 
And  smile  to  see  thy  splendors  fly, 
In  triumph  o'er  his  closing  eye. 

Flag  of  the  free  heart's  only  home ! 
By  angel  hands  to  valor  given,  - 
Thy  stars  have  lit  the  welkin  dome, 
And  all  thy  hues  were  born  in  heaven ! 


NO. 96]  Under   Fire  303 

For  ever  float  that  standard  sheet ! 
Where  breathes  the  foe  that  stands  before  us 
With  Freedom's  soil  beneath  our  feet, 
And  Freedom's  banner  streaming  o'er  us ! 


96.    A  Hot  Fight  in  front  of  the 
American  Lines 

BY  JOHN  HENRY  COOKE  (1814) 

WE  had  run  the  gauntlet,  from  the  left  to  the  centre 
in  front  of  the  American  lines,  under  a  cross  fire,  in 
hopes  of  joining  in  the  assault,  and  had  a  fine  view  of 
the  sparkling  of  the  musketry,  and  the  liquid  flashes 
from  the  cannon.  Melancholy  to  relate,  all  at  once 
many  soldiers  were  met  wildly  rushing  out  of  the 
dense  clouds  of  smoke  lighted  up  by  a  sparkling  sheet 
of  fire,  which  hovered  over  the  ensanguined  field. 
Regiments  were  shattered,  broke,  and  dispersed,  all 
order  was  at  an  end.  The  dismal  spectacle  was  seen 
of  the  dark  shadows  of  men,  like  skirmishers,  break 
ing  out  of  the  clouds  of  smoke,  which  slowly  and 
majestically  rolled  along  the  even  surface  of  the  field. 
So  astonished  was  I  at  such  a  panic,  that  I  said  to 
a  retiring  soldier,  "  Have  we  or  the  Americans  at 
tacked  ?  "  for  I  had  never  seen  troops  in  such  a  hurry 
without  being  followed.  "  No,"  replied  the  man,  with 
the  countenance  of  despair  and  out  of  breath,  as  he 
run  along,  "we  attacked,  Sir."  For  still  the  rever 
beration  was  so  intense  towards  the  great  wood,  that 
any  one  would  have  thought  the  great  fighting  was 
going  on  there  instead  of  immediately  in  front 


304  The  Army         •        [NO.  96 

Lieutenant  Duncan  Campbell,  of  our  regiment,  was 
seen  to  our  left  running  about  in  circles,  first  stag 
gering  one  way,  then  another,  and  at  length  fell  help 
lessly  upon  his  face  on  the  sod.  While  being  borne 
insensible  to  the  rear,  he  still  clutched  the"  hilt  of  his 
sword  with  a  convulsive  grasp,  the  blade  of  which 
was  broken  off  close  at  the  hilt  with  grape-shot.  He 
lived  only  a  few  days. 

The  first  officer  we  met  was  Lieutenant-colonel 
Stovin,  of  the  staff,  who  was  unhorsed,  without  his 
hat,  and  bleeding  down  the  left  side  of  his  face.  He 
at  first  thought  that  the  two  hundred  men  were  the 
whole  regiment,  and  he  said,  "  Forty-third,  you  men 
must  save  the  day  !  "  Lieutenant-colonel  Smith,  of 
the  rifles  and  one  of  Packenham's  staff,  then  rode  up 
at  full  gallop  from  the  right,  and  said  to  me,  "  Did 
you  ever  see  such  a  scene  ?  There  is  nothing  left 
but  the  Seventh  and  Forty-third  !  Just  draw  up  here 
for  a  few  minutes  to  show  front  that  the  repulsed 
troops  may  re-form."  The  chances  now  were,  as  the 
greater  portion  of  the  actually  attacking  corps  were 
stricken  down,  and  the  remainder  dispersed,  that  the 
Americans  would  become  the  assailants.  The  ill-fated 
rocket  was  discharged  before  the  British  troops  moved 
on ;  the  consequence  was,  that  every  American  gun 
was  warned  by  such  a  silly  signal  to  be  laid  on  the 
parapets  ready  to  be  discharged  with  the  fullest  effects. 

The  misty  field  of  battle  was  now  inundated  with 
wounded  officers  and  soldiers  who  were  going  to  the 
rear  from  the  right,  left,  and  centre ;  in  fact,  little 
more  than  one  thousand  soldiers  were  left  unscathed 
out  of  the  three  thousand  that  attacked  the  American 
lines,  and  they  fell  like  the  very  blades  of  grass  be 
neath  the  scythe  of  the  mower.  Packenham  was  killed, 


NO. 96]  Under   Fire  305 

Gibbs  was  mortally  wounded,  and  his  brigade  dis 
persed  like  the  dust  before  the  whirlwind,  and  Keane 
was  wounded.  The  command  of  His  Majesty's  forces 
at  this  critical  juncture  now  fell  to  Major-general  Lam 
bert,  the  only  general  left,  who  was  in  reserve  with 
his  fine  brigade. 

For  five  hours  the  enemy  plied  us  with  grape  and 
round  shot ;  some  of  the  wounded  lying  in  the  mud 
or  on  the  wet  grass,  managed  to  crawl  away;  but 
every  now  and  then  some  unfortunate  man  was  lifted 
off  the  ground  by  round  shot,  and  lay  killed  or  man 
gled.  During  the  tedious  hours  we  remained  in  front, 
it  was  necessary  to  lie  on  the  ground,  to  cover  our- 


A   FLINT   LOCK   OF    l8l2. 

selves  from  the  projectiles.  An  officer  of  our  regi 
ment  was  in  reclining  posture,  when  grape-shot  passed 
through  both  his  knees ;  at  first  he  sank  back  faintly, 
but  at  length  opening  his  eyes  and  looking  at  his 
wounds,  he  said,  "  Carry  me  away,  I  am  chilled  to 
death."  As  he  was  hoisted  on  the  men's  shoulders, 
more  round  and  grape-shot  passed  his  head ;  taking 
off  his  cap,  he  waved  it ;  and  after  many  narrow  es 
capes  got  out  of  range,  suffered  amputation  of  both 
legs,  but  died  of  his  wounds  on  board  ship,  after  en 
during  all  the  pain  of  the  surgical  operation,  and  pass 
ing  down  the  lake  in  an  open  boat. 

A  tree,  about  two  feet  in  diameter  and  fifteen  in 
height,  with  a  few  scattered  branches  at  the  top,  was 
the  only  object  to  break  the  monotonous  scene.  This 


306 


The  Army 


[No.  97 


tree  was  near  the  right  of  our  regiment :  the  Ameri 
cans,  seeing  some  persons  clustering  around  it,  fired 
a  thirty-two  pound  shot,  which  struck  the  tree  exactly 
in  the  centre,  and  buried  itself  in  the  trunk  with  a 
loud  concussion.  Curiosity  prompted  some  of  us  to 
take  a  hasty  inspection  of  it,  and  I  could  clearly  see 
the  rusty  ball  within  the  tree.  I  thrust  my  arm  in  a 
little  above  the  elbow-joint,  and  laid  hold  of  it;  it  was 
truly  amusing  between  the  intervals  of  firing  the  can 
non,  to  witness  the  risks  continually  run  by  the  offi 
cers  to  take  a  peep  at  this  shot.  Owing  to  this 
circumstance,  the  vicinity  of  the  tree  became  rather  a 
hot  birth ;  but  the  American  gunners  failed  to  hit  it  a 
second  time,  although  some  balls  passed  very  near  on 
each  side,  and  for  about  an  hour  it  was  a  source  of 
excessive  jocularity  to  us.  In  the  middle  of  the  day 
a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  by  General  Lambert  to  Gen 
eral  Jackson,  to  be  allowed  to  bury  the  dead,  which 
was  acceded  to  by  the  latter  on  certain  conditions. 


Pirogues 
originally 
were  canoes 
hollowed 
from  the 


97.    Canadian  Camps  and  Battles 

BY  ELIAS  DARNALL  (1812) 

THE  weather  is  excessively  cold;  the  ice  has 
stopped  the  navigation  of  the  river,  so  that  the  plan 
of  going  to  the  Rapids  by  water  is  entirely  frustrated; 
we  had  prepared  about  sixty  pirogues  for  the  voyage, 
which  will  be  left  here  for  our  successors. 

The  General  has  ordered  the  commandants  of 
regiments  to  cause  each  company  to  be  provided 
with  a  sufficient  number  of  sleds  to  convey  their 
baggage  to  the  Rapids.  It  is  said  these  sleds  are 


NO. 97]  In    Canada  307 

to  be  pulled  by  the  men,  as  we  have  not  a  horse  trunk  of  a 
in  camp  able  to  pull  an  empty  sled.     A  little  flour  tree<   They 

.  were  later 

came  to  camp  once  more,  to-day,  quarter-rations  of   developed 
that  article  were  issued,  which  was  welcomed  by  re-  into  a  sort 

.     .    .  ,  «-r-  i  i  of  flat-bot- 

joicmg  throughout  the  camp.  Two  days  later  Cap-  tomed  ferry- 
tain  Hickman  returned  with  joyful  news  —  that  we  boat,  as 
should  in  a  short  time  be  supplied  with  flour.  The  ^1°^ 
deficiency  in  this  article  had  produced  serious  conse-  selection. 
quences  in  the  army.  We  have  here  been  exposed 
to  numberless  difficulties,  as  well  as  deprived  of  the 
common  necessities  of  life ;  and  what  made  these 
things  operate  more  severely  was,  all  hopes  of  obtain 
ing  any  conquest  was  entirely  abandoned.  Obstacles 
had  emerged  in  the  path  to  victory,  which  must  have 
appeared  unsurmountable  to  every  person  endowed 
with  common  sense.  The  distance  to  Canada,  the 
unpreparedness  of  the  army,  the  scarcity  of  pro 
visions,  and  the  badness  of  the  weather,  show  that 
Maiden  cannot  be  taken  in  the  remaining  part  of 
our  time.  And  would  it  not  have  been  better  if  this 
army  had  been  disbanded  ?  Our  sufferings  at  this 
place  have  been  greater  than  if  we  had  been  in  a 
severe  battle.  More  than  one  hundred  lives  have 
been  lost  owing  to  our  bad  accommodations !  The 
sufferings  of  about  three  hundred  sick  at  a  time,  who 
are  exposed  to  the  cold  ground  and  deprived  of 
every  nourishment,  are  sufficient  proofs  of  our 
wretched  condition.  The  camp  had  become  a  loath 
some  place.  The  hope  of  being  one  day  relieved 
from  these  unnecessary  sufferings  affords  some  relief. 
We  received  this  evening  a  supply  of  flour,  and 
have  been  delivered  from  a  state  of  starvation.  It 
being  Christmas  eve,  just  after  dark  a  number  of 
guns  were  fired  in  quick  succession ;  the  whole  army 


308  The  Army  [NO. 97 

was  ordered  to  parade  in  order  of  battle;  strict  orders 
were  given  to  suppress  the  firing.  About  an  hour 
before  day  the  firing  commenced  again ;  the  army 
was  again  paraded  and  strict  orders  given,  threaten 
ing  to  punish  the  offenders. 

We  are  now  about  commencing  one  of  the  most 
serious  marches  ever  performed  by  the  Americans, 
destitute  in  a  measure  of  clothes,  shoes,  and  pro 
visions, —  the  most  essential  articles  necessary  for 
the  existence  and  preservation  of  the  human  species 
in  this  world,  and  more  particularly  in  this  climate. 
Three  sleds  are  prepared  for  each  company,  each  to 
be  pulled  by  a  pack-horse,  which  has  been  without 
food  for  two  weeks,  except  brush,  and  will  not  be 
better  fed  while  in  our  service.  Probably  the  most 
of  these  horses  never  had  harness  on,  but  the  pre 
sumption  is  they  will  be  too  tame  ;  we  have,  however, 
prepared  harness  out  of  green  hides. 

After  nearly  three  months'  preparation  for  this  ex 
pedition,  we  commenced  our  march  in  great  splendor; 
our  elegant  equipage  cast  a  brilliant  lustre  on  the 
surrounding  objects  as  it  passed !  Our  clothes  and 
blankets  looked  as  if  they  had  never  been  acquainted 
with  water,  but  intimately  with  dirt,  soot  and  smoke ; 
in  fact,  we  have  become  acquainted  with  one  much 
despised  in  Kentucky,  under  whose  government  we 
are  obliged  to  live,  whose  name  is  "Poverty."  We 
marched  six  miles  and  encamped  near  Colonel's 
regiment,  which  marched  yesterday ;  the  sick  were 
left  at  No.  Three,  with  a  company  from  each  regi 
ment  as  a  guard. 

We  started  early,  in  order  to  get  there  before 
Colonel  Elliott ;  after  travelling  fifteen  miles,  mostly 
on  ice,  we  received  information  of  the  enemy  being 


NO.  97]  In    Canada  309 

there  waiting  for  us ;  we  were  then  within  three  miles 
of  Frenchtown ;  we  proceeded  with  no  other  view 
than  to  conquer  or  die.  When  we  advanced  in  sight 
of  the  town  and  were  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
it,  the  British  saluted  us  by  firing  a  piece  of  cannon; 
they  fired  it  three  times,  but  no  injury  was  sustained. 
During  this  time  we  formed  the  line  of  battle,  and 
raising  a  shout,  advanced  on  them  briskly ;  they  soon 
commenced  the  firing  of  their  small  arms ;  but  this 
did  not  deter  us  from  a  charge.  We  advanced  close 
and  let  loose  on  them.  They  gave  way,  and  we  soon 
had  possession  of  a  village  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 
Three  were  slightly  wounded.  Twelve  of  their  pris 
oners  were  scalped  and  one  prisoner  taken  before 
they  got  to  the  woods.  In  retreating  they  kept  up 
some  firing. 

We  pursued  them  half  a  mile  to  the  woods,  which 
were  brushy  and  suited  to  their  mode  of  fighting.  As 
we  advanced,  they  were  fixing  themselves  behind 
logs  and  trees  to  the  best  advantage.  Our  troops 
rushed  on  them  resolutely  and  gave  them  Indian 
play,  took  advantage  of  trees,  and  kept  them  retreat 
ing  a  mile  and  a  half  in  the  woods.  During  this 
time  a  heavy  fire  was  kept  up  on  both  sides.  At 
length,  after  a  battle  of  three  hours  and  five  minutes, 
we  were  obliged  to  stop  the  pursuit  on  account  of  the 
approach  of  night,  and  retire  to  the  village.  We 
collected  our  wounded  and  carried  them  to  the  vil 
lage,  leaving  our  dead  on  the  ground.  In  this  action 
the  Kentuckians  displayed  great  bravery,  after  being 
much  fatigued  with  marching  on  the  ice. 

The  next  morning  a  party  was  sent  to  the  battle 
ground  to  bring  in  the  dead,  which  were  found 
scalped  and  stripped.  In  going  over  the  battle- 


3  i  o  The  Army  [NO.  9s 

ground  great  signs  were  seen  (by  the  blood  and 
where  they  had  been  dragged  through  the  snow)  of 
a  considerable  loss  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  Two 
of  the  wounded  died.  The  British  left  a  considera 
ble  quantity  of  provisions  and  some  store  goods, 
which  answered  us  a  valuable  purpose. 


98.    Tall  Americans 

BY  WINFIELD  SCOTT  (1812) 

Two  bearers  of  flags  of  truce  had  been  despatched 
to  the  British  commander,  but  there  was  no  return 
and  no  cessation  of  hostilities.  It  was  concluded 
that  they  had  been  killed  or  captured  by  the  Indians. 
Captains  Totten  and  Gibson  each  volunteered  to 
make  a  third  attempt,  but  as  bearing  a  flag  had 
become  a  forlorn  service,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Scott 
assumed  the  duty  to  himself,  and  took  with  him  his 
gallant  comrades,  Totten  and  Gibson.  Being  uncom 
monly  tall  and  in  a  splendid  uniform,  it  was  thought 
he  had  the  best  chance  of  being  respected  by  the 
savages,  who  were  under  but  little  control.  The 
party  had  to  pass  down,  along  the  margin  of  the 
river  some  hundreds  of  yards,  to  find  an  easy  ascent. 
Several  shots  had  been  fired  at  them,  before  they 
turned  up  to  the  left,  when  two  Indians,  after  firing, 
sprang  from  a  covert  and  seized  the  party.  A  deadly 
combat  impended ;  but  a  detachment  of  regulars, 
headed  by  an  officer,  rushed  to  the  rescue,  and  con 
ducted  the  flag  to  the  British  commander,  General 
Sheaffe.  His  first  and  second  attempts  to  stop  the 


NO.  98]  Tall  Americans  311 

Indian  fire  on  the  American  under  the  precipice 
proved  unsuccessful,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Scott 
demanded  to  be  escorted  back  to  his  countrymen, 
that  he  might  share  their  fate.  He  was  prevailed 
upon  to  wait  another  trial,  which  succeeding,  a  formal 
surrender  was  made  on  terms  honorable  to  all  par 
ties,  and  the  prisoners  were  put  in  march  for  the 
village  of  Newark  (since  Niagara),  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river. 

On  reaching  the  village  of  Newark,  the  American 
officers  were  lodged  in  a  small  inn  after  being  di 
vested  of  their  swords,  which  were  temporarily 
stacked  under  the  staircase  in  the  entry.  A  strong 
guard  was  at  hand,  and  sentries  were  posted.  In  a 
few  minutes  a  servant  said  that  there  were  persons  at 
the  front  door  who  desired  to  see  the  tall  Americans. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Scott,  passing  through  several 
doors,  found,  on  reaching  the  entry,  that  his  visitors 
were  the  same  two  Indians  met  by  him  some  hours 
before  when  bearing  the  flag  of  truce.  Captain 
Jacobs,  one  of  them,  a  man  of  uncommon  stature  and 
power,  speaking  but  little  English,  was  interpreted 
by  his  companion. 

The  professed  object  of  the  Indians  was  to  see  if 
they  had  not  in  the  several  combats  of  the  day  hit 
the  prisoner  before  them  —  each  alleging  that  he  had 
deliberately  fired  at  him  three  or  four  times  from  no 
great  distance.  Their  design,  however,  was  no  doubt 
sinister.  All  the  surviving  Indians  were  exceedingly 
exasperated  at  the  severe  loss  their  tribes  had  just 
sustained.  Jacobs,  accordingly  to  begin  the  fray, 
seized  the  prisoner  rudely  by  the  arm  and  attempted 
to  turn  him  round  to  examine  his  back.  The  savage 
was  indignantly  thrown  against  the  wall,  when  both 


312  The  Army  [NO.  9s 

assailants,  placing  their  hands  on  their  knives  and 
hatchets,  exclaimed:  "We  kill  you  now!"  It  was 
an  awful  moment  for  the  assailed.  There  was  no 
witness  or  help  at  hand.  The  sentinel  near  the  door 
who  had  improperly  admitted  the  Indians,  was  not  in 
view,  and  perhaps  indifferent  as  to  consequences. 
God  and  his  own  stout  heart  must  save  the  American 
from  instant  butchery. 

With  one  mighty  spring  he  seized  the  hilt  of  a 
sword  with  an  iron  scabbard  (easily  drawn),  then 
springing  back  he  faced  the  enemy  and  occupied  the 
narrow  space  between  the  staircase  and  the  opposite 
wall,  but  far  enough  advanced  to  allow  a  free  use  of 
his  sword  over  the  depressed  balustrade.  In  this 
strong  position  he  could  not  be  attacked  by  two 
assailants  at  once,  and  he  was  sure  to  fell  the  fore 
most,  though  he  might  be  assassinated  by  the  second 
before  he  could  recover  his  sword. 

At  this  critical  moment  —  the  parties  standing  at 
bay,  but  in  act  to  strike  —  Captain  Coffin,  nephew 
and  aide-de-camp  of  General  Sheaffe,  entered  to  con 
duct  some  of  the  prisoners  to  the  general's  quarters, 
where  they  were  invited  to  dine.  The  scene  spoke 
for  itself.  The  captain  instantly  seized  Jacobs  by 
the  collar  with  one  hand,  holding  a  cocked  pistol  in 
the  other.  The  gallant  aide-de-camp  had  just  time 
to  call  out  "  The  guard !  "  when  a  sergeant  and  squad 
rushed  in  and  marched  off  the  savages  as  prisoners. 
It  required  a  strong  escort  to  conduct  the  dinner 
guests  in  safety  to  and  from  the  general's  quarters, 
for  the  village  swarmed  with  exasperated  Indians. 


NO.  99]         Adams  and  Liberty         313 
99.    Adams  and  Liberty 

BY  ROBERT  TREAT  PAINE  (1829) 

YE  sons  of  Columbia,  who  bravely  have  fought 

For  those  rights,  which  unstained  from  your  sires 

had  descended, 
May  you  long  taste   the   blessings   your   valor   has 

bought, 

And   your  sons  reap  the  soil  which  their  fathers 
defended. 

'Mid  the  reign  of  mild  peace, 
May  your  nation  increase, 

With  the  glory  of  Rome,  and  the  wisdom  of  Greece ; 
And  ne'er  shall  the  sons  of  Columbia  be  slaves, 
While  the  earth  bears  a  plant,  or  the  sea  rolls  its 
waves. 

In  a  clime,  whose  rich  vales  feed  the  marts  of  the 

world, 

Whose  shores  are  unshaken  by  Europe's  commo 
tion, 

The  trident  of  commerce  should  never  be  hurl'd, 
To  incense  the  legitimate  powers  of  the  ocean. 
But  should  pirates  invade, 
Though  in  thunder  array'd, 

Let  your  cannon  declare  the  free  charter  of  trade. 
For  ne'er  shall  the  sons,  &c. 

The  fame  of  our  arms,  of  our  laws  the  mild  sway, 
Had  justly  ennobled  our  nation  in  story, 

Till  the  dark  clouds  of  faction  obscured  our  young 

day, 
And  enveloped  the  sun  of  American  glory. 


314  e  ^rmy  [NO.  99 


But  let  traitors  be  told, 
Who  their  country  have  sold, 
And  barter'd  their  God  for  his  image  in  gold, 
That  ne'er  will  the  sons,  &c. 


Tis  the  fire  of  the  flint,  each  American  warms, 

Let  Rome's  haughty  victors  beware  of  collision, 
Let  them  bring  all  the  vassals  of  Europe  in  arms, 
We're  a  world  by  ourselves,  and  disdain  a  division. 
While  with  patriot  pride, 
To  our  laws  we're  allied, 
No  foe  can  subdue  us,  no  faction  divide, 
For  ne'er  shall  the  sons,  &c. 


Our  mountains  are  crown'd  with  imperial  oak; 

Whose  roots,  like  our  liberties,  ages  have  nourish'd  ; 
But  long  e'er  our  nation  submits  to  the  yoke, 

Not   a   tree  shall   be    left    on   the   field   where  it 
flourished. 

Should  invasion  impend, 
Every  grove  would  descend, 

From  the  hill-tops,  they  shaded,  our   shores  to    de 
fend. 

For  ne'er  shall  the  sons,  &c. 

Let  our  patriots  destroy  Anarch's  pestilent  worm  ; 
Lest  our  liberty's    growth    should   be  check'd   by 

corrosion ; 
Then  let  clouds  thicken  round  us ;  we  heed  not  the 

storm ; 

Our   realms   fear   no    shock,  but   the  earth's  own 
explosion. 


NO.  99]         Adams  and  Liberty          315 

Foes  assail  us  in  vain, 
Though  their  fleets  bridge  the  main, 
For  our  altars  and  laws  with  our  lives  we'll   main 
tain. 

For  ne'er  shall  the  sons,  &c. 

Should  the  tempest  of  war  overshadow  our  land, 
Its  bolts  could  ne'er  rend  freedom's  temple  asun 
der ; 
For,    unmoved,     at    its    portal,    would    Washington 

stand, 

And  repulse,  with  his  breast,  the  assaults  of  the 
thunder ! 

His  sword  from  the  sleep 
Of  its  scabbard  would  leap, 

And  conduct,  with  its  point,  every  flash  to  the  deep ! 
For  ne'er  shall  the  sons,  &c. 

Let  fame  to  the  world  sound  America's  voice  ; 

No  intrigues  can  her  sons  from  their  governments 

sever ; 

Her  pride  is  her  Adams;  her  laws  are  his  choice, 
And  shall  flourish,  till  liberty  slumbers  for  ever. 
Then  unite  heart  and  hand, 
Like  Leonidas'  band, 

And  swear  to  the  God  of  the  ocean  and  land, 
That  ne'er  shall  the  sons  of  Columbia  be  slaves, 
While  the  earth  bears  a  plant,  or  the  sea  rolls  its 
waves. 


PART    VIII 

AT   SCHOOL 


100.    An  Ambassador's  Letters  to 
his  Daughters 

BY  THOMAS  JEFFERSON  AND  MARTHA  JEFFERSON  (1785-87) 

MY  DEAR  POLLY  —  I   have   not   received  a   letter  From 
from  you  since   I   came  to   France.      If  you  knew  Thomas 

J  .         Jefferson, 

how  much  I  love  you  and  what  pleasure  the  receipt  envoy  of  the 
of  your  letters  gave  me  at  Philadelphia,  you  would  United  states 
have  written  to  me,  or  at  least  have  told  your  aunt  to  hirsan° 
what  to  write,  and  her  goodness  would  have  induced  daughter 
her  to  take  the  trouble  of  writing  it.     I  wish  so  much  ^aar{nwho 
to  see  you,  that  I  have  desired  your  uncle  and  aunt  America. 
to  send  you  to  me.     I   know,  my  dear  Polly,  how 
sorry  you  will  be,  and  ought  to  be,  to  leave  them  and 
your  cousins ;  but  your  sister  and  myself  can  not  live 
without  you,  and  after  a  while  we  will  carry  you  back 
again  to  see  your  friends  in  Virginia.     In  the  mean 
time  you  shall  be  taught  here  to  play  on  the  harpsi 
chord,  to  draw,  to  dance,  to  read  and  talk  French, 
and  such  other  things  as  will  make  you  more  worthy 
of  the  love  of  your  friends ;  but  above  all  things,  by 
our  care  and  love  of  you,  we  will  teach  you  to  love  us 
more  than  you  will  do  if  you  stay  so  far  from  us. 

317 


3i8 


At  School 


[No.  100 


I  have  had  no  opportunity  since  Colonel  Le 
Maire  went,  to  send  you  any  thing ;  but  when  you 
come  here  you  shall  have  as  many  dolls  and  play 
things  as  you  want  for  yourself,  or  to  send  to  your 
cousins  whenever  you  shall  have  opportunities.  1 
hope  you  are  a  very  good  girl,  that  you  love  your 
uncle  and  aunt  very  much,  and  are  very  thankful  to 
them  for  all  their  goodness  to  you ;  that  you  never 
suffer  yourself  to  be  angry  with  anybody,  that  you 


MONTICELLO. 

give  your  playthings  to  those  who  want  them,  that 
you  do  whatever  anybody  desires  of  you  that  is  right, 
that  you  never  tell  stories,  never  beg  for  any  thing, 
mind  your  books  and  your  work  when  your  aunt  tells 
you,  never  play  but  when  she  permits  you,  nor  go 
where  she  forbids  you  ;  remember,  too,  as  a  constant 
charge,  not  to  go  out  without  your  bonnet,  because  it 
will  make  you  very  ugly,  and  then  we  shall  not  love 
you  so  much.  If  you  always  practice  these  lessons 
we  shall  continue  to  love  you  as  we  do  now,  and  it  is 


NO.  100]  Polly    "Jefferson  319 

impossible  to  love  you  any  more.  We  shall  hope  to 
have  you  with  us  next  summer,  to  find  you  a  very 
good  girl,  and  to  assure  you  of  the  truth  of  our 
affection  for  you.  Adieu,  my  dear  child.  Yours 
affectionately, 

TH.  JEFFERSON. 

DEAR  PAPA  —  I    long  to  see   you,  and  hope  that  From  Mary 
you  and  sister  Patsy  are  well ;  give  my  love  to  her   Jef,fers°n, 

to  her  father. 

and  tell  her  that  I  long  to  see  her,  and  hope  that  you 
and  she  will  come  very  soon  to  see  us.  I  hope,  that 
you  will  send  me  a  doll.  I  am  very  sorry  that  you 
have  sent  for  me.  I  don't  want  to  go  to  France,  I 
had  rather  stay  with  Aunt  Eppes.  Aunt  Carr,  Aunt 
Nancy  and  Cousin  Polly  Carr  are  here.  Your  most 
happy  and  dutiful  daughter, 

POLLY  JEFFERSON. 

Being  disappointed  in  my  expectation  of  receiving  From 
a  letter  from  my  dear  papa,  I  have  resolved  to  break   Martha 
so  painful  a  silence  by  giving  you  an  example  that  I   then^a' 
hope  you  will  follow,  particularly  as  you  know  how  Convent 
much  pleasure   your  letters  give  me.     I  hope  your  S 
wrist  is  better,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  your 
voyage  is  rather  for  your  pleasure  than  your  health ; 
however,  I  hope  it  will  answer  both  purposes.     I  will 
now  tell  you  how  I  go  on  with  my  masters.     I  have 
begun  a  beautiful  tune,  done  a  very  pretty  landscape 
—  a  little  man  playing  on  the  violin  —  and  begun  an 
other  beautiful  landscape.     I  go  on  slowly  with  my 
Livy,  it  being  in  such  ancient  Italian  that  I  can  not 
read   without  my   master,  and   very   little   with   him 
even.     As  for  the  dancing-master,  I  intend  to  leave 
him  off  as  soon  as  my  month  is  finished.     Tell  me  if 
you    are   still   determined   that  I    shall  dine  at  the 


3  2  o  At  School  [NO.  ioo 

abbess's  table.  If  you  are,  I  shall  at  the  end  of  my 
quarter.  Adieu,  my  dear  papa.  I  am  afraid  you 
will  not  be  able  to  read  my  scrawl,  but  I  have  not 
the  time  of  copying  it  over  again ;  and  therefore  I 
must  beg  your  indulgence,  and  assure  you  of  the  ten 
der  affection  of  yours, 

M.  JEFFERSON. 
Pray  write  often,  and  long  letters. 

MY  DEAR  PAPA  —  Though  the  knowledge  of  your 
health  gave  me  the  greatest  pleasure,  yet  I  own  I 
was  not  a  little  disappointed  in  not  receiving  a  let 
ter  from  you.  However,  I  console  myself  with  the 
thought  of  having  one  very  soon,  as  you  promised  to 
write  to  me  every  week.  Until  now  you  have  not 
kept  your  word  the  least  in  the  world,  but  I  hope  you 
will  make  up  for  your  silence  by  writing  me  a  fine, 
long  letter  by  the  first  opportunity.  Titus  Livius 
puts  me  out  of  my  wits.  I  can  not  read  a  word  by 
myself,  and  I  read  of  it  very  seldom  with  my  master ; 
however,  I  hope  I  shall  soon  be  able  to  take  it  up 
again.  All  my  other  masters  go  on  much  the  same  — 
perhaps  better.  Every  body  here  is  very  well,  par 
ticularly  Madame  L'Abbesse,  who  has  visited  almost 
a  quarter  of  the  new  building  —  a  thing  that  she  has 
not  done  for  two  or  three  years  before  now.  I  have 
not  heard  anything  of  my  harpsichord,  and  I  am 
afraid  it  will  not  come  before  your  arrival.  I  go  on 
pretty  well  with  Thucydides,  and  I  hope  I  shall  very 
soon  finish  it.  I  expect  Mr.  Short  every  instant  for 
my  letter,  therefore  I  must  leave  you.  Adieu,  my 
dear  papa ;  be  assured  you  are  never  a  moment  absent 
from  my  thoughts,  and  believe  me  to  be,  your  most 
affectionate  child, 

M.  JEFFERSON. 


NO.  101]  Love   Feast  321 

1  01.    The   Children's    Love    Feast 

BY  COLONEL  JOHN  MAY  (1788) 

Sunday,  i7th.  Rose  this  morning  at  3  o'clock,  and 
went  fourteen  miles  to  breakfast  at  Bethlehem.  We 
were  received  by  the  brotherhood  in  the  most  hospi 
table  manner,  especially  by  Mr.  Heckewelder,  who 
was  for  several  years  a  missionary  amongst  the  Mora-  The  Mora 
vian  Indians.  He  paid  particular  attention  to  us  and  vians  were 

i  .  ,.  people  driven 

invited  us  to  go  to  meeting  with  him.     I  accordingly  from  central 
went  with  him.     To  give  a  just  description   of  this  Europe  be- 

i  i'c    i  i  111         •     f         i  i  i  -i-i         cause  of  their 

beautiful  and  agreeable  day  is  far  beyond  my  ability.  re]jgious 
When  I  entered  the  hall  where  they  were  worship-  opinions. 
ing,  it  struck  me  with  a  pleasing  amazement  to  be-  ^^^^ 
hold  at  one  view  upward  of  sixty  little  beautiful  girls,   Moravians 
seated  in  regular  order,  —  all  clad  in  white  muslin  or  ^me  ,to 
cambric,  each  with  red  ribbon  in  a  large  bow  round  many  of' 
her  neck,  with  snug  close  caps  ;  and  also  as  many  of  !hem  settlir>g 
an  older  order,  and  other  two  classes  older  still,  —  all  Onf  Pennsyi^ 
in  white,  and  all  chanting  their  Maker's  praise  to  the  vania.   They 
music  of  an  elegant  organ.     I  was  all  ear,  all  atten 


tion.     I  could  compare  such  worship  to  nothing  else  tiontoChris- 
but  the  worship  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  —  they  tia™zing  the 

\     Indians. 

appeared  to  me  like  the  saints,  just  disburdened 
from  earth,  arrayed  in  their  white  robes  praising  the 
Author  of  Goodness. 

I  went  to  my  lodgings  at  noon,  in  raptures.  It 
was  not  long  before  we  had  a  formal  invitation  to 
attend  the  love-feast  in  the  afternoon,  which  was 
gladly  accepted.  I  was  'punctual  to  the  time,  which 
was  two  o'clock.  The  observance  of  a  feast  of  this 
sort  is  a  privilege  the  young  misses  have  every  I  /th 
of  August.  It  happened  this  year  on  Sunday.  The 


322 


At  School 


[No.  102 


little  ones  were  more  numerous  this  afternoon  than 
in  the  forenoon,  and  excelled  in  beauty  all  that  even 
a  glowing  imagination  could  suggest.  After  they 
had  chanted  their  hymns  for  about  an  hour,  the  great 
doors  were  swung  open,  and  three  pairs  of  maiden 
ladies  appeared,  each  pair  bringing  between  them  a 
basket  filled  with  large  cakes,  which  they  handed 
round  to  each  miss  and  elderly  lady.  Soon  after,  two 
of  the  brothers  came  in,  and  in  like  manner  handed 
the  cakes  to  the  gentlemen,  and  then  withdrawing. 
In  a  short  time,  all  returned  with  salvers  of  excellent 
coffee,  and  handed  it  round.  This  ceremony  over, 
they  sung  again ;  and  then  there  was  an  anthem, 
which  rolled  off  finely,  and  the  assembly  broke  up. 
I  was  then  introduced  to  the  governess,  a  very  polite 
and  agreeable  lady,  who  waited  on  us  to  all  the  dif 
ferent  apartments.  I  was  extremely  pleased  with 
the  order  and  regularity  of  the  place,  and  having 
seen  about  all  that  was  to  be  seen,  returned  to  my 
lodgings. 


This  piece 
shows  the 
old  use  of 
abbrevia 
tion  and  the 
character  &. 


1 02.    Address   to    the    Children    of 
the   North   Schools,    Boston 

BY  JEREMY  BELKNAP  (1780) 

DEAR  CHILD*,  —  Your  present  age  is  the  most 
proper  season  to  begin  those  improvements  w11  are  to 
last  through  your  whole  lives.  The  spring  of  ye  year 
is  the  time  for  sowing  seed ;  and  youth  is  the  time 
for  sowing  ye  seeds  of  knowledge  &  virtue  in  the 
human  mind.  But  you  must  remember  that  the 
growth  of  seed  depends  on  the  quality  &  disposition 
of  the  ground  as  much  as  on  the  skill  &  diligence  of 


NO.  102]     Address  to  the  Children      323 

the  person  who  sows  it ;  so  the  cultivation  of  your 
minds  depends  as  much  on  yrselvs  as  on  yr  instructors. 
They  may  teach,  but  you  must  learn.  They  may 
take  great  pains  to  instruct  you,  but  unless  you  dili 
gently  take  heed  to  their  instructions,  &  fix  what  they 
tell  you  in  yr  own  minds,  all  their  teaching  will  profit 
you  nothing.  You  see  then  that  much  of  your  im 
provement  depends  on  yr  own  diligence,  &  it  is  best 
that  you  should  early  form  a  habit  of  attention  &  not 
suffer  yourselves  to  be  unconcerned  &  thoughtless. 
Though  it  is  proper  that  you  should  be  allowed  time 
for  diversion,  yet  you  must  not  make  a  business  of 
yr  diversion,  but  only  use  it  as  a  refreshment  to 
relieve  you  from  the  fatigue  of  study,  that  you  may 
go  to  it  again  with  new  relish  &  spirit.  And  believe 
me,  whoever  does  not  enter  upon  his  studies  with 
spirit  will  never  make  any  figure  as  a  scholar. 

Another  thing  which  I  would  recommend  to  you 
is,  to  govern  yourselves ;  that  is,  to  take  such  care  of 
your  own  conduct  as  that  your  schoolmaster  may  be 
relieved  of  the  trouble  of  governing  you.  It  is  the 
duty  of  every  person  to  govern  himself;  and  we 
cannot  begin  too  early  in  life  to  practise  this  neces 
sary  duty.  You  should  therefore  learn  to  restrain 
your  passions,  to  curb  your  tongue,  to  avoid  all  occa 
sions  of  quarrelling,  &  to  preserve  a  decent,  sober,  & 
attentive  behaviour  at  school.  This  will  gain  the 
love  of  your  master  &  enable  him  the  more  easily  to 
carry  on  the  work  w('h  is  committed  to  him.  If  every 
scholar  would  learn  to  govern  himself,  there  would 
be  no  need  of  correction  or  expulsion,  the  ferule  & 
cowskin  would  be  thrown  by,  &  the  whole  business 
of  the  school  would  be  confined  to  instruction  & 
learning. 


324  -At  School  [NO. io3 

And  let  me  add,  this  is  now  become  a  matter  of 
necessity ;  for  by  the  new  regulations  wdl  have  been 
introduced  into  the  schools,  you  see  that  the  number 
of  scholars  is  increased,  &  the  duty  of  the  masters 
is  increased  with  it.  Let  it  therefore  be  your  care  as 
much  as  possible  to  lighten  their  burden  with  respect 
to  government,  &  you  will  reap  the  benefit  of  it  in 
having  their  time  wholly  devoted  to  the  care  of  your 
learning.  But  there  is  a  farther  advantage  to  be 
gained  by  it ;  for  if  you  learn  to  govern  yourselves 
while  young,  you  will  get  such  a  good  habit  as  will 
probably  remain  with  you  thro'  life,  &  make  you 
exemplary  in  all  your  conduct,  so  that  you  will  live 
usefully  in  this  world  &  be  prepared  for  the  enjoy 
ment  of  God  hereafter. 


103.    The   Indian   at   College 

BY  PHILIP  FRENEAU  (1795) 

FROM  Susquehanna's  farthest  springs, 
Where  savage  tribes  pursue  their  game, 
(His  blanket  tied  with  yellow  strings,) 
A  shepherd  of  the  forest  came. 

Not  long  before,  a  wandering  priest 
Express'd  his  wish  with  visage  sad  — 
"  Ah,  why  (he  cried)  in  Satan's  waste, 
Ah,  why  detain  so  fine  a  lad  ? 

"  In  white  man's  land  there  stands  a  town, 
Where  learning"  may  be  purchased  low  - 
Exchange  his  blanket  for  a  gown, 
And  let  the  lad  to  college  go." 


NO. io3]      The  Indian  at  College       325 

From  long  debate  the  council  rose, 

And  viewing  Shalum's  tricks  with  joy, 

To  Cambridge  Hall,  o'er  wastes  of  snows,  Harvard 

They  sent  the  copper-color'd  boy. 

One  generous  chief  a  bow  supplied, 
This  gave  a  shaft,  and  that  a  skin ; 
The  feathers,  in  vermilion  dyed, 
Himself  did  from  a  turkey  win : 

Thus  dress'd  so  gay,  he  took  his  way 
O'er  barren  hills,  alone,  alone  ! 
His  guide  a  star,  he  wander'd  far, 
His  pillow  every  night  a  stone. 

At  last  he  came,  with  foot  so  lame, 
Where  learned  men  talk  heathen  Greek, 
And  Hebrew  lore  is  gabbled  o'er, 
To  please  the  muses,  — twice  a  week. 

Awhile  he  writ,  awhile  he  read, 
Awhile  he  conn'd  their  grammar  rules  — 
(An  Indian  savage  so  well  bred 
Great  credit  promised  to  the  schools.) 

Some  thought  he  would  in  law  excel, 
Some  said  in  physic  he  would  shine ; 
And  one  that  knew  him  passing  well, 
Beheld  in  him  a  sound  divine. 

But  those  of  more  discerning  eye, 
Even  then  could  other  prospects  show, 
And  saw  him  lay  his  Virgil  by, 
To  wander  with  his  dearer  bow. 


326  At  School  [NO. io3 

The  tedious  hours  of  study  spent, 
The  heavy  moulded  lecture  done, 
He  to  the  woods  a  hunting  went, 
Through  lonely  wastes  he  walk'd,  he  run. 

No  mystic  wonders  fired  his  mind ; 
He  sought  to  gain  no  learn'd  degree, 
But  only  sense  enough  to  find 
The  squirrel  in  the  hollow  tree. 

The  shady  bank,  the  purling  stream, 
The  woody  wild  his  heart  possess'd, 
The  dewy  lawn,  his  morning  dream 
In  fancy's  gayest  colors  drest. 

"And  why,"  he  cried.  "  did  I  forsake 
My  native  wood  for  gloomy  walls ; 
The  silver  stream,  the  limpid  lake 
For  musty  books,  and  college  halls  ? 

"A  little  could  my  wants  supply  — 
Can  wealth  and  honor  give  me  more ; 
Or,  will  the  sylvan  god  deny 
The  humble  treat  he  gave  before  ? 

"  Where  nature's  ancient  forests  grow, 
And  mingled  laurel  never  fades, 
My  heart  is  fix'd  and  I  must  go 
To  die  among  my  native  shades." 

He  spoke,  and  to  the  western  springs, 
(His  gown  discharged,  his  money  spent, 
His  blanket  tied  with  yellow  strings,) 
The  shepherd  of  the  forest  went 


NO.  io4]  Indian    Manners  327 

104.    The  Table  Manners  of  an 
Indian  Boy 

BY  ISAAC  WELD  (1796) 

BUT  though  the  Indians,  in  general,  appear  so  re 
served  in  the  presence  of  strangers,  yet  the  firmness 
of  their  dispositions  forbids  them  from  ever  appear 
ing  embarrassed ;  they  would  sit  down  to  table  in  a 
palace,  before  the  first  crowned  head  on  the  face  of 
the  earth,  with  as  much  unconcern  as  they  would  sit 
down  to  a  frugal  meal  in  one  of  their  own  cabins. 
They  deem  it  highly  becoming  in  a  warrior  to  ac 
commodate  his  manners  to  those  of  the  people  with 
whom  he  may  happen  to  be,  and  as  they  are  won 
derfully  observant,  you  will  seldom  perceive  any  thing 
of  awkwardness  or  vulgarity  in  their  behaviour  in  the 
company  of  strangers.  I  have  seen  an  Indian,  who 
had  lived  in  the  woods  from  his  infancy,  enter  a 
drawing-room  in  Philadelphia,  full  of  ladies,  with  as 
much  ease  and  as  much  gentility  as  if  he  had  always 
lived  in  the  city,  and  merely  from  having  been  told, 
preparatory  to  his  entering,  the  form  usually  observed 
on  such  occasions.  But  the  following  anecdote  will 
put  this  matter  in  a  stronger  point  of  view. 

Our  friend  Nekig,  the  Little  Otter,  had  been  in 
vited  to  dine  with  us  at  the  house  of  a  gentleman  at 
Detroit,  and  he  came  accordingly,  accompanied  by 
his  son,  a  little  boy  of  about  nine  or  ten  years  of  age. 
After  dinner  a  variety  of  fruits  were  served  up,  and 
amongst  the  rest  some  peaches,  a  dish  of  which  was 
handed  to  the  young  Indian.  He  helped  himself  to 
one  with  becoming  propriety;  but  immediately  after- 


328 


At  School  [NO.  io4 


wards  he  put  the  fruit  to  his  mouth,  and  bit  a  piece 
out  of  it.  The  father  eyed  him  with  indignation, 
and  spoke  some  words  to  him  in  a  low  voice,  which  I 
could  not  understand,  but  which,  on  being  interpreted 
by  one  of  the  company,  proved  to  be  a  warm  repri 
mand  for  his  having  been  so  deficient  in  observation 
as  not  to  peal  his  peach,  as  he  saw  the  gentleman 
opposite  to  him  had  done.  The  little  fellow  was  ex 
tremely  ashamed  of  himself ;  but  he  quickly  retrieved 
his  error,  by  drawing  a  plate  towards  him,  and  pealing 
the  fruit  with  the  greatest  neatness. 

Some  port  wine,  which  he  was  afterwards  helped 
to,  not  being  by  any  means  agreeable  to  his  palate, 
the  little  fellow  made  a  wry  face,  as  a  child  might 
naturally  do,  after  drinking  it.  This  called  forth  an 
other  reprimand  from  the  father,  who  told  him,  that 
he  despaired  of  ever  seeing  him  a  great  man  or  a  good 
warrior  if  he  appeared  then  to  dislike  what  his  host 
had  kindly  helped  him  to.  The  boy  drank  the -rest 
of  his  wine  with  seeming  pleasure. 

No  people  are  possessed  of  a  greater  share  of  nat 
ural  politeness  than  the  Indians  :  they  will  never  in 
terrupt  you  whilst  you  are  speaking ;  nor,  if  you 
have  told  them  any  thing  which  they  think  to  be 
false,  will  they  bluntly  contradict  you ;  "  We  dare 
say,  brother,"  they  will  answer,  "that  you  yourself 
believe  what  you  tell  us  to  be  true ;  but  it  appears 
to  us  so  improbable  that  we  cannot  give  our  assent 
to  it." 


NO. io5]       College  Life  in  1820        329 
105.    College  Life  in  1820 

BY  ANDREW  PRESTON  PEABODY  (1820) 

THE  last  sixty  years  can  hardly  have  wrought 
greater  changes,  anywhere  else  than  in  Harvard  Col 
lege.  In  my  time  a  student's  room  was  remarkable 
chiefly  for  what  it  did  not  have.  The  feather-bed  — 
mattresses  not  having  come  into  general  use  —  was 
regarded  as  a  valuable  chattel ;  but  ten  dollars  would 
have  been  a  fair  auction-price  for  all  the  other  con 
tents  of  an  average  room,  which  were  a  pine  bedstead, 
washstand,  table,  and  desk,  a  cheap  rocking-chair, 
and  from  two  to  four  other  chairs  of  the  plainest 
fashion,  the  bed  furnishing  seats  when  more  were 
needed.  I  doubt  whether  any  fellow-student  of  mine 
owned  a  carpet.  A  second-hand-furniture  dealer  had 
a  few  defaced  and  threadbare  carpets,  which  he  leased 
at  an  extravagant  price  to  certain  southern  members 
of  the  senior  class  ;  but  even  Southerners,  though 
reputed  to  be  fabulously  rich,  did  not  aspire  to  this 
luxury  till  the  senior  year.  Coal  was  just  coming 
into  use,  and  had  hardly  found  its  way  into  college. 
The  students'  rooms  —  several  of  the  recitation-rooms 
as  well  —  were  heated  by  open  wood-fires.  Almost 
every  room  had,  too,  among  its  transmittenda,  a 
cannon-ball  supposed  to  have  been  derived  from  the 
arsenal,  which  on  very  cold  days  was  heated  to  a  red 
heat,  while  at  other  seasons  it  was  often  utilized  by 
being  rolled  down-stairs  at  such  time  as  might  most 
nearly  bisect  a  proctor's  night-sleep.  Friction-matches 
—  according  to  Faraday  the  most  useful  invention 
of  our  age  —  were  not  yet.  Coals  were  carefully 
buried  in  ashes  over  night  to  start  the  morning  fire ; 


33°  At  School  [NO.  io5 

while  in  summer,  as  I  have  elsewhere  said,  the  even 
ing  lamp  could  be  lighted  only  by  the  awkward,  and 
often  baffling,  process  of  "  striking  fire  "  with  flint, 
steel,  and  tinder-box. 

The  student's  life  was  hard.  Morning  prayers 
were  in  summer  at  six ;  in  winter,  about  half  an  hour 
before  sunrise,  in  a  bitterly  cold  chapel.  Thence 
half  of  each  class  passed  into  the  several  recitation- 
rooms  in  the  same  building  (University  Hall),  and 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  later  the  bell  rang  for  a 
second  set  of  recitations,  including  the  remaining 
half  of  the  students.  Then  came  breakfast,  which  in 
the  college  commons  consisted  solely  of  coffee,  hot 
rolls,  and  butter,  except  when  the  members  of  a  mess 
had  succeeded  in  pinning  to  the  nether  surface  of  the 
table,  by  a  two-pronged  fork,  some  slices  of  meat 
from  the  previous  day's  dinner.  Between  ten  and 
twelve  every  student  attended  another  recitation  or  a 
lecture.  Dinner  was  at  half -past  twelve,  —  a  meal 
not  deficient  in  quantity,  but  by  no  means  appetizing 
to  those  who  had  come  from  neat  homes  and  well- 
ordered  tables.  There  was  another  recitation  in  the 
afternoon,  except  on  Saturday ;  then  evening  prayers 
at  six,  or  in  winter  at  early  twilight ;  then  the  even 
ing  meal,  plain  as  the  breakfast,  with  tea  instead  of 
coffee,  and  cold  bread,  of  the  consistency  of  wool,  for 
the  hot  rolls.  After  tea  the  dormitories  rang  with 
song  and  merriment  till  the  study-bell,  at  eight  in 
winter,  at  nine  in  summer,  sounded  the  curfew  for 
fun  and  'frolic,  proclaiming  dead  silence  throughout 
the  college  premises,  under  penalty  of  a  visit  from 
the  officer  of  the  entry,  and,  in  case  of  a  serious 
offence,  of  private  or  public  admonition. 

This  was  the  life  for  five  days  of  the  week.     On 


NO.  105]       College  Life  in  1820        331 

Sundays  all  the  students  were  required  to  be  in  resi 
dence  here,  not  excepting  even  those  whose  homes 
were  in  Boston ;  and  all  were  required  to  attend 
worship  twice  each  day  at  the  college  chapel.  On 
Saturday  alone  was  there  permission  to  leave  Cam 
bridge,  absence  from  town  at  any  other  time  being  a 
punishable  offence.  This  weekly  liberty  was  taken 
by  almost  every  member  of  college,  Boston  being  the 
universal  resort ;  though  seldom  otherwise  than  on 


HARVARD   COLLEGE    IN    l82O. 

foot,  the  only  public  conveyance  then  being  a  two- 
horse  stage-coach,  which  ran  twice  a  day.  But  the 
holiday  could  not  be  indefinitely  prolonged.  The 
students  who  were  not  present  at  evening  prayers 
were  obliged  by  law  to  register  their  names  with  the 
regent  before  nine  o'clock,  under  a  heavy  penalty, 
which  was  seldom  or  never  incurred  ;  for  the  regent's 
book  was  kept  by  his  freshman,  who  could  generally 
be  coaxed  or  bribed  to  "  take  no  note  of  time." 


332  At  School  [NO. io5 

The  price  of  board  in  commons  was  a  dollar  and 
'three-quarters,  or,  as  was  then. the  uniform  expression, 
"ten  and  sixpence."  The  dining-rooms  were  on  the 
first  floor  of  University  Hall.  College  officers  and 
graduates  had  a  table  on  an  elevated  platform  at  the 
head  of  each  room,  and  the  students  occupied  the 
main  floor  in  messes  of  from  eight  to  ten.  The  round 
windows  opening  into  the  halls,  and  the  shelves  set 
in  them,  still  remaining  in  some  of  these  rooms,  were 
designed  for  the  convenience  of  waiters  in  bringing 
dishes  from  the  kitchen  in  the  basement.  That 
kitchen,  cooking  for  about  two  hundred  persons,  was 
the  largest  culinary  establishment  of  which  the  New- 
England  mind  then  had  knowledge  or  conception. 

The  professors,  as  well  as  the  college  officers,  per 
formed  police  duty  as  occasion  seemed  to  demand ; 
and  in  case  of  a  general  disturbance,  which  was  not 
infrequent,  the  entire  faculty  were  on  the  chase  for 
offenders,  —  a  chase  seldom  successful ;  while  their 
unskilled  manoeuvres  in  this  uncongenial  service  were 
wont  to  elicit,  not  so  much  silent  admiration,  as  shouts 
of  laughter  and  applause,  which  they  strove  in  vain 
to  trace  to  their  source. 

The  recitations  were  mere  hearings  of  lessons, 
without  comment  or  collateral  instruction.  They  were 
generally  heard  in  quarter-sections  of  a  class,  the 
entire  class  containing  from  fifty  to  sixty  members. 
The  custom  was  to  call  on  every  student  in  the 
section  at  every  recitation.  Each  teacher  was  sup 
posed  to  have  some  system,  according  to  which  he 
arranged  the  order  of  his  daily  calls.  Some,  like  Dr. 
Popkin,  openly  adopted  the  direct,  some  the  inverse, 
alphabetical  order,  some  the  two  alternately.  As  for 
the  key  to  the  order  adopted  by  the  others  respec- 


NO. io5]      College  Life  in  1820        333 

tively,  there  were,  generally,  conflicting  theories,  the 
maintenance  of  which  brought  into  play  a  keenness  of 
calculation  and  a  skilful  manipulation  of  data  fully 
adequate  to  the  solving  of  deeply  involved  algebraic 
equations.  Of  course,  the  endeavor  —  not  always 
unsuccessful  —  was  to  determine  what  part  of  a  les 
son  it  was  necessary  for  each  individual  student  to 
prepare. 

The  range  of  study  was  much  less  extensive  than 
now.  Natural  history  did  not  then  even  profess  to 
be  a  science,  and  received  very  little  attention.  Chem 
istry,  under  auspices  which  one  does  not  like  to  recall, 
occupied,  and  utterly  wasted,  a  small  portion  of  the 
senior  year.  French  and  Spanish  were  voluntary 
studies,  or  rather  recreations ;  for  the  recitation-room 
of  the  kind-hearted  septuagenarian,  who  had  these 
languages  in  charge,  was  frequented  more  for  amuse 
ment  than  for  anything  that  was  taught  or  learned. 
Italian  and  German  were  studied  in  good  earnest  by 
a  very  few  volunteers.  There  was  a  great  deal  of 
efficient  work  in  the  department  of  philosophy ;  and 
the  writing  of  English  could  not  have  been  cared  for 
more  faithfully,  judiciously,  and  fruitfully,  than  by 
Professor  Channing.  But  the  chief  labor  and  the 
crowning  honor  of  successful  scholarship  were  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  The  mathematical 
course  extended  through  the  entire  four  years.  In 
Greek  and  Latin,  the  aim,  as  has  been  already  stated, 
was  to  reach  the  actual  meaning  of  the  author  in 
hand,  and  to  render  his  thought  into  clear  and  ele 
gant  English.  This  aim  was  attained,  I  think,  to  a 
high  degree  in  Latin ;  and  with  the  faithful  and 
searching  study  of  the  Latin  text,  there  grew  up 
inevitably  the  sort  of  instinctive  knowledge  of  Latin 


334  -d*  School  [NO.  106 

grammar,  which  one  conversant  with  the  best  Eng 
lish  writers  acquires  of  English  grammar,  without 
formal  study.  Such  grammatical  tact  and  skill  were 
acquired  by  a  respectable  number  of  Latin  scholars 
in  every  class ;  and  the  number  was  by  no  means 
small  of  those  who  then  formed  a  life-long  taste  for 
Latin  literature,  and  the  capacity  of  reading  it  with 
all  desirable  ease  and  fluency.  Greek  was  studied 
with  much  greater  difficulty,  an'd,  when  with  similar, 
with  much  less  satisfactory  and  valuable,  results.  The 
best  scholars  were  often  discouraged  in  the  pursuit 
of  knowledge  under  hindrances  so  grave,  and  had 
resort  to  contraband  methods  of  preparation,  which 
required  little  labor,  and  were  of  no  permanent 
benefit. 


1 06.    Fashionable   Education 

BY  REVEREND  TIMOTHY  DWIGHT  (1821) 

THE  end,  proposed  by  the  parents,  is  to  make 
their  children  objects  of  admiration.  The  children 
of  the  family  are  regularly  introduced  to  company 
and  the  praise  of  the  guests  is  administered  to  them 
as  regularly,  as  the  dinner  or  the  tea,  is  served  up. 
Commendation  is  rung  through  all  its  changes :  and 
you  may  hear,  both  in  concert  and  succession,  "  beau 
tiful  children  ;  "  "  fine  children  ;  "  "  sweet  children ;  " 
"lovely  children;"  "what  a  charming  family!" 
"what  a  delightful  family!"  "you  are  a  fine  little 
fellow;"  "you  are  a  sweet  little  girl;"  "My  son, 
can't  you  speak  one  of  your  pieces  before  this 
good  company  ?  "  "  Caroline,  where  is  your  work  ?  " 
"  Susan,  bring  Miss  Caroline's  work,  and  show  it  to 


NO.  106]      Fashionable  Education        335 


that  lady ; "  "  Susan,  bring  with  you  the  picture, 
which  she  finished  last  week ; "  with  many  other 
things  of  a  similar  nature.  Were  you  to  pass  a 
twelve  month  in  this  country,  and 
to  believe  all  that  you  heard  said 
by  people,  not  destitute  of  respecta 
bility  ;  whatever  opinion  you  might 
form  of  the  parents,  you  would 
suppose,  that  the  children  were  a 
superiour.  race  of  beings,  both  in 
person  and  mind. 

The  means  of  effectuating  this 
darling  object  are  the  communica 
tion  of  what  are  called  accomplish 
ments.  The  children  are  solicitously 
taught  music,  dancing,  embroidery, 
ease,  confidence,  graceful  manners.  CLOCK  FROM  THE  OLD 
To  these  may  be  added  what  is  BANK  OF  NEW  YORK. 
called  reading,  and  travelling. 

The  thoughts  of  a  boy,  thus  educated,  are  spent 
upon  the  colour,  quality,  and  fashion,  of  his  clothes, 
and  upon  the  several  fashions  to  which  his  dress  is 
to  be  successively  conformed ;  upon  his  bow,  his 
walk,  his  mode  of  dancing,  his  behaviour  in  com 
pany,  and  his  nice  observance  of  the  established 
rules  of  good  breeding.  To  mingle  without  awkward 
ness  or  confusion  in  that  empty,  unmeaning  chat, 
those  mere  vibrations  of  the  tongue,  termed  fashion 
able  conversation,  is  the  ultimate  aim  of  his  eloquence; 
and  to  comprehend,  and  to  discuss,  without  impro 
priety  the  passing  topics  of  the  day,  the  chief  object 
of  his  mental  exertions.  When  he  reads,  he  reads 
only  to  appear  with  advantage  in  such  conversation. 
When  he  acts,  he  acts  only  to  be  admired  by  those 


336 


At    School  [No.  106 


who  look  on.  Novels,  plays,  and  other  trifles  of  a 
similar  nature,  are  the  customary  subjects  of  his  in 
vestigation.  Voyages,  travels,  biography,  and  some 
times  history,  limit  his  severe  researches.  By  such 
a  mind  thinking  will  be  loathed,  and  study  regarded 
with  terror.  In  the  pursuits,  to  which  it  is  devoted, 
there  is  nothing  to  call  forth,  to  try,  or  to  increase, 
its  strength.  Its  powers,  instead  of  being  raised  to 
new  degrees  of  energy,  are  never  exercised  to  the 
extent,  in  which  they  already  exist.  His  present 
capacity  cannot  be  known  for  want  of  trial.  What 
that  capacity  might  become  cannot  be  even  conjec 
tured.  Destitute  of  that  habit  of  labouring,  which 
alone  can  render  labour  pleasing,  or  even  support 
able,  he  dreads  exertion  as  a  calamity.  The  sight 
of  a  classic  author  gives  him  a  chill :  a  lesson  in 
Locke,  or  Euclid,  a  mental  ague. 

On  girls,  this  unfortunate  system  induces  additional 
evils.  Miss,  the  darling  of  her  father  and  the  pride 
of  her  mother,  is  taught  from  the  beginning  to  re 
gard  her  dress  as  a  momentous  concern.  She  is 
instructed  in  embroidery  merely  that  she  may  finish 
a  piece  of  work,  which  from  time  to  time  is  to  be 
brought  out,  to  be  seen,  admired,  and  praised  by 
visitors ;  or  framed,  and  hung  up  in  the  room,  to  be 
still  more  frequently  seen,  admired  and  praised. 
She  is  taught  music,  only  that  she  may  perform  a 
few  times,  to  excite  the  same  admiration,  and  ap 
plause,  for  her  skill  on  the  forte  piano.  She  is  taught 
to  draw,  merely  to  finish  a  picture,  which,  when  richly 
framed,  and  ornamented,  is  hung  up,  to  become  an 
altar  for  the  same  incense. 

The  reading  of  girls  is  regularly  lighter  than  that 
of  boys.  When  the  standard  of  reading  for  boys  is 


NO.  106]      Fashionable  Education        337 

set  too  low,  that  for  girls  will  be  proportionally  low 
ered.  Where  boys  investigate  books  of  sound  phi 
losophy,  and  labour  in  mathematical  and  logical 
pursuits ;  girls  read  history,  the  higher  poetry,  and 
judicious  discourses  in  morality,  and  religion.  When 
the  utmost  labour  of  boys  is  bounded  by  history, 
biography,  and  the  pamphlets  of  the  day  :  girls  sink 
down  to  songs,  novels,  and  plays. 

Of  this  reading  what,  let  me  ask,  are  the  conse 
quences  ?  By  the  first  novel  which  she  reads,  she 
is  introdued  into  a  world,  literally  new.  Instead  of 
houses,  inhabited  by  mere  men,  women  and  children, 
she  is  presented  with  a  succession  of  splendid  palaces, 
and  gloomy  castles  inhabited  by  tenants,  half  human 
and  half  angelic,  or  haunted  by  downright  fiends. 
Every  thing  in  the  character  and  circumstances,  of 
these  beings  comes  at  the  wish,  or  the  call  of  the 
enchanter.  Whatever  can  supply  their  wants,  suit 
their  wishes,  or  forward,  or  frustrate,  their  designs, 
is  regularly  at  hand.  The  heroes  are  as  handsome, 
as  dignified,  as  brave,  as  generous,  as  affectionate,  as 
faithful,  and  as  accomplished,  as  he  supposes  will 
satisfy  the  demands  of  his  readers.  At  the  same 
time,  they  have  always  a  quantum  sufficit  of  money  : 
or,  if  not,  some  relation,  dies  at  the  proper  time,  and 
leaves  them  an  ample  supply.  Every  heroine  is, 
also  a  compound  of  all  that  is  graceful  and  lovely. 
Her  person  is  fashioned  "  by  the  hand  of  harmony." 
Her  complexion  outvies  the  snow,  and  shames  the  rose. 

I  know,  that  this  education  is  expressly  attempted 
with  a  view  to  superiour  refinement :  but  it  is  not 
a  refinement  of  the  taste,  the  understanding,  or  the 
heart.  It  is  merely  a  refinement  of  the  imagination  ; 
of  an  imagination,  already  soft,  and  sickly ;  of  a 


338  At  School  [NO. io7 

sensibility,  already  excessive ;  of  a  relish,  already 
fastidious.  To  a  genuine  perfection  of  taste  it  bears 
no  more  resemblance,  than  the  delicate  white  of 
decay  to  the  native  fairness  of  complexion ;  or  than 
the  blush  of  a  hectic  to  the  bloom  of  health. 


107.    A     Learned    Blacksmith 

BY  ELIHU   BURRITT   (1825) 

I  WAS  the  youngest  of  many  brethren,  and  my 
parents  were  poor.  My  means  of  education  were 
limited  to  the  advantages  of  a  district  school ;  and 
those,  again,  were  circumscribed  by  my  father's  death, 
which  deprived  me,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  of  those 
scanty  opportunities  which  I  had  previously  enjoyed. 
A  few  months  after  his  death,  I  apprenticed  myself 
to  a  blacksmith  in  my  native  village.  Thither  I 
carried  an  indomitable  taste  for  reading,  which  I  had 
previously  acquired  through  the  medium  of  the  social 
library,  all  the  historical  works  in  which  I  had  at 
that  time  read.  At  the  end  of  a  little  more  than  half 
of  my  apprenticeship,  I  suddenly  conceived  the  idea 
of  studying  Latin.  Through  the  assistance  of  an 
elder  brother,  who  had  himself  obtained  a  college 
education  by  his  own  exertions,  I  completed  my 
Virgil  during  the  evenings  of  one  winter.  After 
some  time  devoted  to  Cicero,  and  a  few  other  Latin 
authors,  I  commenced  Greek.  At  this  time  it  was 
necessary  that  I  should  devote  every  hour  of  day 
light,  and  a  part  of  the  evening,  to  the  duties  of  my 
apprenticeship.  Still  I  carried  my  Greek  grammar 
in  my  hat,  and  often  found  a  moment,  when  I  was 


NO.  107]     A  Learned  Blacksmith       339 

heating  some  large  iron,  when  I  could  place  my  book 
open  before  me,  against  the  chimney  of  my  forge, 
and  go  through  with  tupto,  tupteis,  tuptei,  unperceived 
by  my  fellow-apprentices,  and,  sometimes  with  a  detri 
mental  effect  to  the  charge  in  my  fire.  At  evening  I 
sat  down,  unassisted  and  alone,  to  the  Iliad  of  Homer, 
twenty  books  of  which  measured  my  progress  in  that 
language  during  the  evenings  of  another  winter. 

I  next  turned  to  the  modern  languages,  and  was 
much  gratified  to  learn  that  my  knowledge  of  Latin 
furnished  me  with  a  key  to  the  literature  of  most  of 
the  languages  of  Europe.  This  circumstance  gave  a 
new  impulse  to  the  desire  of  acquainting  myself  with 
the  philosophy,  derivation  and  affinity  of  the  different 
European  tongues.  I  could  not  be  reconciled  to 
limit  myself,  in  these  investigations,  to  a  few  hours, 
after  the  arduous  labors  of  the  day.  I  therefore  laid 
down  my  hammer  and  went  to  New  Haven,  where  I 
recited  to  native  teachers,  in  French,  Spanish,  Ger 
man,  and  Italian.  At  the  expiration  of  two  years  I 
returned  to  the  forge,  bringing  with  me  such  books 
in  those  languages  as  I  could  procure.  When  I  had 
read  these  books  through,  I  commenced  the  Hebrew, 
with  an  awakened  desire  for  examining  another  field ; 
and,  by  assiduous  application,  I  was  enabled,  in  a 
few  weeks,  to  read  this  language  with  such  facility 
that  I  allotted  it  to  myself,  as  a  task,  to  read  two 
chapters  in  the  Hebrew  Bible,  before  breakfast,  each 
morning  ;  this  and  an  hour  at  noon  being  all  the  time 
that  I  could  devote  to  myself  during  the  day. 

After  becoming  somewhat  familiar  with  the  Hebrew, 
I  looked  around  me  for  the  means  of  initiating  my 
self  into  the  fields  of  Oriental  literature,  and  to  my 
deep  regret  and  concern,  I  found  my  progress  in  this 


34-O  At  School  [NO.  io7 

direction  hedged  up  by  the  want  of  requisite  books. 
I  immediately  began  to  devise  means  of  obviating 
this  obstacle ;  and,  after  many  plans,  I  concluded  to 
seek  a  place  as  a  sailor,  on  board  some  ship  bound  to 
Europe,  thinking  in  this  way  to  have  opportunities 
for  collecting,  at  different  ports,  such  works  in  the 
modern  and  Oriental  languages  as  I  found  necessary 
for  my  object.  I  left  the  forge  and  my  native  place, 
to  carry  out  this  plan.  I  travelled  on  foot  to  Boston, 
a  distance  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  to  find  some 
vessel  bound  to  Europe.  In  this  I  was  disappointed  ; 
and  while  revolving  in  my  mind  what  step  next  to 
take,  I  accidentally  heard  of  the  American  Antiqua 
rian  Society,  in  Worcester.  I  immediately  bent  my 
steps  towards  this  place.  I  visited  the  hall  of  the 
Antiquarian  Society,  and  found  there,  to  my  infinite 
gratification,  such  a  collection  of  ancient,  modern, 
and  Oriental  languages  as  I  never  before  conceived 
to  be  collected  in  one  place ;  and,  sir,  you  may 
imagine  with  what  sentiments  of  gratitude  I  was 
affected,  when,  upon  evincing  a  desire  to  examine 
some  of  these  rich  and  rare  works,  I  was  kindly 
invited  to  an  unlimited  participation  in  all  the  ben 
efits  of  this  noble  institution.  Availing  myself  of  the 
kindness  of  the  directors,  I  spent  about  three  hours, 
daily,  at  the  hall,  which  with  an  hour  at  noon,  and 
three  in  the  evening,  make  up  the  portion  of  the 
day  which  I  appropriate  to  my  studies,  the  rest  being 
occupied  in  arduous  manual  labor.  Through  the 
facilities  afforded  by  this  institution,  I  have  been  able 
to  add  so  much  to  my  previous  acquaintance  with  the 
ancient,  modern,  and  Oriental  languages  as  to  be  able 
to  read  upwards  of  fifty  of  them  with  more  or  less 
facility. 


No.  108] 


Daniel  H^ebster 


1 08.   The  New  Hampshire  School 
boy 

BY  DANIEL  WEBSTER  (1829) 

I  DO  not  remem 
ber  when  or  by 
whom  I  was  taught 
to  read  ;  because  I 
cannot  and  never 
could  recollect  a 
time  when  I  could 
not  read  the  Bible. 
I  suppose  I  was 
taught  by  my 
mother,  'or  by  my 
elder  sisters.  My 
father  seemed  to 
have  no  higher  ob 
ject  in  the  world, 
than  to  educate  his 
children,  to  the  full 
extent  of  his  very 
limited  ability.  No 
means  were  within 
his  reach,  generally  speaking,  but  the  small  town 
schools.  These  were  kept  by  teachers,  sufficiently 
indifferent,  in  the  several  neighborhoods  of  the  town 
ship,  each  a  small  part  of  the  year.  To  these  I  was 
sent,  with  the  other  children. 

When  the  school  was  in  our  neighborhood,  it  was 
easy  to  attend ;  when  it  removed  to  a  more  distant 
district  I  followed  it,  still  living  at  home.  While  yet 


ONCE  A  SCHOOLBOY. 
(DANIEL  WEBSTER.) 


342  ^lt  School  [NO.  ics 

quite  young,  and  in  winter,  I  was  sent  daily  two  and 
a  half  or  three  miles  to  the  school.  When  it  removed 
still  further,  my  father  sometimes  boarded  me  out,  in 
a  neighboring  family,  so  that  I  could  still  be  in  the 
school. 

In  these  schools,  nothing  was  taught  but  reading 
and  writing ;  and,  as  to  these,  the  first  I  generally 
could  perform  better  than  the  teacher,  and  the  last  a 
good  master  could  hardly  instruct  me  in ;  writing  was 
so  laborious,  irksome,  and  repulsive  an  occupation  to 
me  always.  My  masters  used  to  tell  me,  that  they 
feared,  after  all,  my  fingers  were  destined  for  the 
plough-tail. 

I  must  do  myself,  the  justice  to  say  that,  in  those 
boyish  days,  there  were  two  things  I  did  dearly  love : 
reading  and  playing. 

At  a  very  early  day,  owing  I  believe  mainly  to  the 
exertions  of  Mr.  Thompson,  the  lawyer,  the  clergy 
man,  and  my  father,  a  very  small  circulating  library 
had  been  bought.  I  obtained  some  of  these  books, 
and  read  them.  I  remember  the  "  Spectator  "  among 
them. 

I  was  fond  of  poetry.  By  far  the  greater  part  of 
Dr.  Watts's  Psalms  and  Hymns  I  could  repeat  from 
memory  at  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age.  I  am  sure 
that  no  other  sacred  poetry  will  ever  appear  to  me  so 
affecting  and  devout. 

I  remember  that  my  father  brought  home  from 
some  of  the  lower  towns  Pope's  "  Essay  on  Man," 
published  in  a  sort  of  pamphlet.  I  took  it,  and  very 
soon  could  repeat  it,  from  beginning  to  end.  We  had 
so  few  books  that  to  read  them  once  or  twice  was 
nothing.  We  thought  they  were  all  to  be  got  by 
heart. 


NO.  io8]  Daniel  W^ebster  343 

It  so  happened,  that  within  the  few  months  during 
which  I  was  at  the  Exeter  Academy,  Mr.  Thacher, 
now  judge  of  the  Municipal  Court  of  Boston,  and  Mr. 
Emery,  the  distinguished  counsellor  at  Portland,  were 
my  instructors.  I  am  proud  to  call  them  both  mas 
ters.  I  believe  I  made  tolerable  progress  in  most 
branches  which  I  attended  to,  while  in  this  school ; 
but  there  was  one  thing  I  could  not  do.  I  could  not 
make  a  declamation.  I  could  not  speak  before  the 
school.  The  kind  excellent  Buckminster  sought, 
especially,  to  persuade  me  to  perform  the  exercise  of 
declamation,  like  other  boys ;  but  I  could  not  do  it. 
Many  a  piece  did  I  commit  to  memory,  and  recite 
and  rehearse,  in  my  own  room,  over  and  over  again ; 
yet  when  the  day  came,  when  the  school  collected  to 
hear  declamations,  when  my  name  was  called,  and  I 
saw  all  eyes  turned  to  my  seat,  I  could  not  raise 
myself  from  it.  Sometimes  the  instructors  frowned, 
sometimes  they  smiled.  Mr.  Buckminster  always 
pressed,  and  entreated,  most  winningly,  that  I  would 
venture ;  but  I  could  never  command  sufficient  reso 
lution.  When  the  occasion  was  over,  I  went  home 
and  wept  bitter  tears  of  mortification. 

In  February,  1797,  my  father  carried  me  to  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Wood's,  in  Boscawen,  and  placed  me 
under  the  tuition  of  that  most  benevolent  and  excel 
lent  man.  It  was  but  half  a  dozen  miles  from  our 
own  house.  On  the  way  to  Mr.  Wood's,  my  father 
first  intimated  to  me  his  intention  of  sending  me  to 
college.  The  very  idea  thrilled  my  whole  frame.  He 
said  he  then  lived  but  for  his  children,  and  if  I  would 
do  all  I  could  for  myself,  he  would  do  what  he  could 
for  me.  I  remember  that  I  was  quite  overcome,  and 
my  head  grew  dizzy.  The  thing  appeared  to  me  so 


344  At  School  [NO.  109 

high,  and  the  expense  and  sacrifice  it  was  to  cost  my 
father,  so  great,  I  could  only  press  his  hands  and 
shed  tears. 

Mr.  Wood  accomplished  his  promise,  and  I  entered 
Dartmouth  College,  as  a  Freshman,  August,  1797. 
At  Boscawen,  I  had  found  another  circulating  library, 
and  had  read  many  of  its  volumes.  I  remember 
especially  that  I  found  "  Don  Quixote,"  in  the  com 
mon  translation,  and  in  an  edition,  as  I  think,  of  three 
or  four  duodecimo  volumes.  I  began  to  read  it,  and 
it  is  literally  true  that  I  never  closed  my  eyes  till  I 
had  finished  it ;  nor  did  I  lay  it  down  for  five  minutes ; 
so  great  was  the  power  of  that  extraordinary  book  on 
my  imagination. 

— + — 

109.    The   District   School-house 

BY  REVEREND  WARREN  BURTON  (1833) 

THE  Old  School-house  in  District  No.  5  stood  on 
the  top  of  a  very  high  hill,  on  the  north  side  of  what 
was  called  the  County  road.  The  house  of  Capt. 
Clark,  about  ten  rods  off,  was  the  only  human  dwell 
ing  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  The  reason  why  this 
seminary  of  letters  was  perched  so  high  in  the  air, 
and  so  far  from  the  homes  of  those  who  resorted  to 
it,  was  this :  here  was  the  centre  of  the  district,  as 
near  as  surveyor's  chain  could  designate.  The  people 
east  would  not  permit  the  building  to  be  carried  one 
rod  further  west,  and  those  of  the  opposite  quarter 
were  as  obstinate  on  their  side.  So  here  it  was 
placed ;  and  this  continued  to  be  literally  the  "  hill  of 
science"  to  generation  after  generation  of  learners 
for  fifty  years. 


NO.  iog]    T/ie  District  School-house    345 

The  edifice  was  set  half  in  Capt  Clark's  field, 
and  half  in  the  road.  The  wood-pile  lay  in  the  corner 
made  by  the  east  end  and  the  stone  wall.  The  best 
roof  it  ever  had  over  it  was  the  changeful  sky,  which 
was  a  little  too  leaky  to  keep  the  fuel  at  all  times  fit 
for  combustion,  without  a  great  deal  of  puffing  and 
smoke.  The  door-step  was  a  broad  unhewn  rock, 
brought  from  the  neighboring  pasture.  It  had  not  a 
flat  and  even  surface,  but  was  considerably  sloping 
from  the  door  to  the  road ;  so  that,  in  icy  times,  the 
scholars,  in  passing  out,  used  to  snatch  from  the 
scant  declivity  the  transitory  pleasure  of  a  slide.  But 
look  out  for  a  slip-up,  ye  careless ;  for  many  a  time 
have  I  seen  urchin's  head  where  his  feet  were  but  a 
second  before,  and  once  the  most  lofty  and  perpen 
dicular  pedagogue  I  ever  knew,  became  suddenly 
horizontalized  in  his  egress. 

But  we  have  lingered  round  this  door-step  long 
enough.  Before  we  cross  it,  however,  let  us  just 
glance  at  the  outer  side  of  the  structure.  It  was 
never  painted  by  man ;  but  the  clouds  of  many  years 
had  stained  it  with  their  own  dark  hue.  The  nails 
were  starting  from  their  fastness,  and  fellow-clap 
boards  were  becoming  less  closely  and  warmly  inti 
mate.  There  were  six  windows,  which  here  and 
there  stopped  and  distorted  the  passage  of  light  by 
fractures,  patches,  and  seams  of  putty.  There  were 
shutters  of  board,  like  those  of  a  store,  which  were 
of  no  kind  of  use,  excepting  to  keep  the  windows 
from  harm  in  vacations,  when  they  were  the  least 
liable  to  harm.  They  might  have  been  convenient 
screens  against  the  summer  sun,  were  it  not  that 
their  shade  was  inconvenient  darkness.  Some  of 
these,  from  loss  of  buttons,  were  fastened  back  by 


346 


At    School  [No.  109 


poles,  which  were  occasionally  thrown  down  in  the 
heedlessness  of  play,  and  not  replaced  till  repeated 
slams  had  broken  a  pane  of  glass,  or  the  patience  of 
the  teacher.  To  crown  this  description  of  externals, 
I  must  say  a  word  about  the  roof.  The  shingles  had 
been  battered  apart  by  a  thousand  rains;  and,  except 
ing  where  the  most  defective  had  been  exchanged 
for  new  ones,  they  were  dingy  with  the  mold  and 
moss  of  time.  The  bricks  of  the  chimney-top  were 
losing  their  cement,  and  looked  as  if  some  high  wind 
might  hurl  them  from  their  smoky  vocation. 

We  will  now  go  inside.  First,  there  is  an  entry 
which  the  district  were  sometimes  provident  enough 
to  store  with  dry  pine  wood,  as  an  antagonist  to  the 
greenness  and  wetness  of  the  other  fuel.  A  door 
on  the  left  admits  us  to  the  school  room.  Here 
is  a  space  about  twenty  feet  long  and  ten  wide,  the 
reading  and  spelling  parade.  At  the  south  end  of  it, 
at  the  left  as  you  enter,  was  one  seat  and  writing 
bench,  making  a  right  angle  with  the  rest  of  the 
seats.  This  was  occupied  in  the  winter  by  two  of  the 
oldest  boys  in  the  school.  At  the  opposite  end  was 
the  magisterial  desk,  raised  upon  a  platform  a  foot 
from  the  floor.  The  fire-place  was  on  the  right,  half 
way  between  the  door  of  entrance  and  another  door 
leading  into  a  dark  closet,  where  the  girls  put  their 
outside  garments  and  their  dinner  baskets.  This  also 
served  as  a  fearful  dungeon  for  the  immuring  of 
offenders.  Directly  opposite  the  fire-place  was  an 
aisle,  two  feet  and  a  half  wide,  running  up  an  in 
clined  floor  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  room.  On 
each  side  of  this  were  five  or  six  long  seats  and 
writing  benches,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  school 
at  their  studies.  In  front  of  these,  next  to  the  spell- 


NO.  no]       A  Wonderful  Speller        347 

ing  floor,  were  low,  narrow  seats  for  abecedarians  and 
others  near  that  rank.  In  general,  the  older  the 
scholar,  the  further  from  the  front  was  his  location. 
The  windows  behind  the  back  seat  were  so  low  that 
the  traveler  could  generally  catch  the  stealthy  glance 
of  curiosity  as  he  passed.  Such  was  the  Old  School- 
house  at  the  time  I  first  entered  it. 


no.    A   Wonderful   Speller 

BY  REVEREND  WARREN  BURTON  (1833) 

THE  most  extraordinary  spelling,  and  indeed  read 
ing  machine,  in  our  school,  was  a  boy  whom  I  shall 
call  Memorus  Wordwell.  He  was  mighty  and  won 
derful  in  the  acquisition  and  remembrance  of  words, 
—  of  signs  without  the  ideas  signified.  The  alpha 
bet  he  acquired  at  home  before  he  was  two  years  old. 
What  exultation  of  parents,  what  exclamation  from 
admiring  visitors !  "  There  was  never  any  thing  like 
it."  He  had  almost  accomplished  his  A-b's  before  he 
was  thought  old  enough  for  school.  At  an  earlier 
age  than  usual,  however,  he  was  sent;  and  then  he 
went  from  Ache  to  Abomination  in  half  the  summers 
and  winters  it  took  the  rest  of  us  to  go  over  the  same 
space. 

Master  Wordwell  was  a  remarkable  reader  too. 
He  could  rattle  off  a  word  as  extensive  as  the  name 
of  a  Russian  noble,  when  he  was  but  five  years  old, 
as  easily  as  the  schoolmaster  himself.  "  He  can 
read  in  the  hardest  chapters  of  the  Testament  as  fast 
agin  as  I  can,"  said  his  mother.  "  I  never  did  see 
nothin  beat  it,"  exclaimed  his  father;  "he  speaks  up 


348 


At    School  [No.  no 


as  loud  as  a  minister."  But  I  have  said  enough 
about  this  prodigy.  I  have  said  thus  much,  because, 
although  he  was  thought  so  surpassingly  bright,  he 
was  the  most  decided  ninny  in  the  school.  The  fact 
is,  he  did  not  know  what  the  sounds  he  uttered 
meant.  It  never  entered  his  head,  nor  the  heads  of 
his  parents  and  most  of  his  teachers,  that  words  and 
sentences  were  written,  and  should  be  read,  only  to 
be  understood. 

It  happened  one  day  that  the  "  cut  and  split"  for 
the  fire  fell  short,  and  Jonas  Patch  was  out  wielding 
the  axe  in  school  time.  He  had  been  at  work  about 
half  an  hour,  when  Memorus,  who  was  perceived  to 
have  less  to  do  than  the  rest,  was  sent  out  to  take 
his  place.  He  was  about  ten  years  old,  and  four 
years  younger  than  Jonas.  "  Memorus,  you  may 
go  out  and  spell  Jonas."  Our  hero  did  not  think 
of  the  Yankee  sense  in  which  the  master  used  the 
word  spell:  indeed,  he  had  never  attached  but  one 
meaning  to  it,  whenever  it  was  used  with  reference 
to  himself.  He  supposed  the  master  was  granting 
him  a  ride  extraordinary  on  his  favorite  hobby.  So 
he  put  his  spelling-book  under  his  arm,  and  was  out 
at  the  woodpile  with  the  speed  of  a  boy  rushing  to 
play. 

"  Have  you  got  your  spelling-lesson,  Jonas  ?  "  was 
his  first  salutation.  "  Haven't  looked  at  it  yet,"  was 
the  reply.  "  I  mean  to  cut  up  this  great  log,  spelling 
or  no  spelling,  before  I  go  in.  I  had  as  lieve  keep 
warm  here  choppin  wood,  as  freeze  up  there  in  that 
cold  back  seat."  "Well,  the  master  sent  me  out  to 
hear  you  spell."  "  Did  he  ?  well,  put  out  the  words, 
and  I'll  spell."  Memorus  being  so  distinguished  a 
speller,  Jonas  did  not  doubt  but  that  he  was  really 


NO.  no]       _A  Jf^onderful  Speller        349 

sent  out  on  this  errand.  So  our  deputy  spelling- 
master  mounted  the  top  of  the  woodpile,  just  in  front 
of  Jonas,  to  put  out  words  to  his  temporary  pupil, 
who  still  kept  on  putting  out  chips. 

"  Do  you  know  where  the  lesson  begins,  Jonas  ?  " 
"No,  I  don't;  but  I  'spose  I  shall  find  out  now." 
"Well,  here  'tis."  (They  both  belonged  to  the 
same  class.)  "  Spell  A-bom-i-na-tion."  Jonas  spells. 
A-b-o-m  bom  a-bom  (in  the  mean  time  up  goes  the 
axe  high  in  air),  i  a-bom-i  (down  it  goes  again  chuck 
into  the  wood)  n-a  na  a-bom-i-na  (up  it  goes  again) 
t-i-o-n  tion,  a-bom-i-na-tion  ;  chuck  the  axe  goes  again, 
and  at  the  same  time  out  flies  a  furious  chip,  and  hits 
Memorus  on  the  nose.  At  this  moment  the  master 
appeared  just  at  the  corner  of  the  school-house,  with 
one  foot  still  on  the  threshold.  "  Jonas,  why  don't 
you  come  in  ?  didn't  I  send  Memorus  out  to  spell 
you?"  '"Yes,  sir,  and  he  has  been  spelling  me; 
how  could  I  come  in  if  he  spelt  me  here  ?  "  At  this 
the  master's  eye  caught  Memorus  perched  upon  the 
top  stick,  with  his  book  open  upon  his  lap,  rubbing 
his  nose,  and  just  in  the  act  of  putting  out  the  next 
word  of  the  column.  Ac-com-mo-da-tion,  pronounced 
Memorus  in  a  broken  but  louder  voice  than  before ; 
for  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  master,  and  he 
wished  to  let  him  know  that  he  was  doing  his  duty. 
This  was  too  much  for  the  master's  gravity.  He 
perceived  the  mistake,  and,  without  saying  more, 
wheeled  back  into  the  school-room,  almost  bursting 
with  the  most  tumultuous  laugh  he  ever  tried  to  sup 
press.  The  scholars  wondered  at  his  looks,  and 
grinned  in  sympathy.  But  in  a  few  minutes  Jonas 
came  in,  followed  by  Memorus  with  his  spelling-book, 
who  exclaimed,  "  I  have  heard  him  spell  through  the 


35  o  At  School  [NO.  in 

whole  lesson,  and  he  didn't  spell  hardly  any  of  them 
right."  The  master  could  hold  in  no  longer,  and  the 
scholars  perceived  the  blunder,  and  there  was  one 
simultaneous  roar  from  pedagogue  and  pupils ;  the 
scholars  laughing  twice  as  loud  and  uproariously  in 
consequence  of  being  permitted  to  laugh  in  school- 
time,  and  to  do  it  with  the  accompaniment  of  the 
master. 


iii.     Little  Books  presented  the 
Last  Day  of  School 

BY  REVEREND  WARREN  BURTON  (1833) 

THERE  was  one  circumstance  connected  with  the 
history  of  summer  schools  of  so  great  importance  to 
little  folks  that  it  must  not  be  omitted.  It  was  this. 
The  mistress  felt  obliged  to  give  little  books  to  all 
her  pupils  on  the  closing  day  of  her  school.  Other 
wise  she  would  be  thought  stingy,  and  half  the  good 
she  had  done  during  the  summer  would  be  canceled 
by  the  omission  of  the  expected  donations.  If  she 
had  the  least  generosity,  or  hoped  to  be  remembered 
with  any  respect  and  affection,  she  must  devote  a 
week's  wages,  and  perhaps  more,  to  the  purchase  of 
these  little  toy-books.  My  first  present  was  from 
Mary  Smith.  It  was  not  a  little  book  the  first  sum 
mer,  but  it  was  something  that  pleased  me  more. 

The  last  day  of  the  school  had  arrived.  All,  as  I 
have  somewhere  said  before,  were  sad  that  it  was 
now  to  finish.  My  only  solace  was  that  I  should 
now  have  a  little  book,  for  I  was  not  unmoved  in  the 
general  expectation  that  prevailed.  After  the  read- 


NO. in]       Last   Day   of  School        351 

ing  and  spelling,  and  all  the  usual  exercises  of  the 
school,  were  over,  Mary  took  from  her  desk  a  pile 
of  the  glittering  little  things  we  were  looking  for. 
What  beautiful  covers,  —  red,  yellow,  blue,  green ! 
Oh !  not  the  first  buds  of  spring,  not  the  first  rose  of 
summer,  not  the  rising  moon,  nor  gorgeous  rainbow, 


FROM  AN  OLD  SCHOOL  BOOK. 

seemed  so  charming  as  that  first  pile  of  books  now 
spread  out  on  her  lap,  as  she  sat  in  her  chair  in  front 
of  the  school.  All  eyes  were  now  centered  on  the 
outspread  treasures.  Pleasure  glowed  in  every  heart ; 
for  the  worst,  as  well  as  the  best,  calculated  with  cer 
tainty  on  a  present.  The  scholars  were  called  out 
one  by  one  to  receive  the  dazzling  gifts,  beginning  at 
the  oldest,  I,  being  an  abecedarian,  must  wait  till 


School  [NO. in 

the  last ;  but  as  I  knew  that  my  turn  would  surely 
come  in  due  order,  I  was  tolerably  patient.  But  what 
was  my  disappointment,  my  exceeding  bitterness  of 
grief,  when  the  last  book  on  Mary's  lap  was  given 
away,  and  my  name  not  yet  called !  Every  one 
present  had  received,  except  myself  and  two  others 
of  the  ABC  rank.  I  felt  the  tears  starting  to  my 
eyes ;  my  lips  were  drawn  to  their  closest  pucker  to 
hold  in  my  emotions  from  audible  outcry.  I  heard 
my  fellow-sufferer  at  my  side  draw  long  and  heavy 
breaths,  the  usual  preliminaries  to  the  bursting-out 
of  grief.  This  feeling,  however,  was  but  momentary  ; 
for  Mary  immediately  said,  "  Charles  and  Henry  and 
Susan,  you  may  now  all  come  to  me  together:"  at 
the  same  time  her  hand  was  put  into  her  work-bag. 
We  were  at  her  side  in  an  instant,  and  in  that  time 
she  held  in  her  hand  —  what  ?  Not  three  little  pic 
ture-books,  but  what  was  to  us  a  surprising  novelty, 
viz.,  three  little  birds  wrought  from  sugar  by  the 
confectioner's  art.  I  had  never  seen  or  heard  or 
dreamed  of  such  a  thing.  What  a  revulsion  of  de 
lighted  feeling  now  swelled  my  little  bosom  !  "  If  I 
should  give  you  books,"  said  Mary,  "  you  could  not 
read  them  at  present;  so  I  have  got  for  you  what 
you  will  like  better  perhaps,  and  there  will  be  time 
enough  for  you  to  have  books  when  you  shall  be  able 
to  read  them.  So,  take  these  little  birds,  and  see 
how  long  you  can  keep  them."  We  were  perfectly 
satisfied,  and  even  felt  ourselves  distinguished  above 
the  rest.  My  bird  was  more  to  me  than  all  the  song 
sters  in  the  air,  although  it  could  not  fly  or  sing,  or 
open  its  mouth.  I  kept  it  for  years,  until  by  accident 
it  was  crushed  to  pieces,  and  was  no  longer  a  bird. 
But  Susan  Clark  —  I  was  provoked  at  her.  Her 


NO.  in]       Last  Day   of  School        353 

bird  was  nothing  to  her  but  a  piece  of  pepperminted 
sugar,  and  not  a  keepsake  from  Mary  Smith.  She 
had  not  left  the  schoolhouse  before  she  had  nibbled 
off  its  bill.  But  her  mother  was  always  tickling  her 
palate  with  sugar-plums,  raisins,  cookies,  and  such 
like,  which  the  rest  of  us  were  not  accustomed  to ; 
and  she  had  no  idea  that  the  sweet  little  sugar 
bird  was  made,  at  least  was  given,  for  the  sake  of 
her  heart  rather  than  her  palate. 

The  next  summer,  my  present  was  the  "  Death  and 
Burial  of  Cock  Robin."  This  was  from  the  dearly 
loved  Mary  too.  I  could  then  do  something  more 
than  look  at  the  pictures.  I  could  read  the  tragic 
history  which  was  told  in  verse  below  the  pictured 
representations  of  the  mournful  drama.  How  I  used 
to  gaze  and  wonder  at  what  I  saw  in  that  little  book ! 
Could  it  be  that  all  this  really  took  place ;  that  the 
sparrow  really  did  do  the  murderous  deed  with  his 
bow  and  his  arrow  ?  I  never  knew  that  birds  had 
such  things.  Then  there  was  the  fish  with  his  dish, 
the  rook  with  his  book,  the  owl  with  his  shovel. 
Yet,  if  it  were  not  all  true,  why  should  it  be  so 
pictured  and  related  in  the  book  ?  I  had  the  impres 
sion  that  every  thing  that  was  printed  in  a  book  was 
surely  true  ;  and  as  no  one  thought  to  explain  to  me 
the  nature  of  a  fable,  I  went  on  puzzled  and  won 
dering  till  progressive  reason  at  length  divined  its 
meaning.  But  Cock  Robin,  with  its  red  cover  and 
gilded  edges  —  I  have  it  now.  It  is  the  first  little 
book  I  ever  received,  and  it  was  from  Mary  Smith ; 
and,  as  it  is  the  only  tangible  memento  of  her  good 
ness  that  I  possess,  I  shall  keep  it  as  long  as  I  can. 


2  A 


354  At  School  [NO.  112 

112.    Entrance  Examinations  for 
Harvard 

BY  JOHN  ADAMS  (1757)  AND  DR.  SAMUEL  KIRKLAND 
LOTHROP  (1821) 

I 

MR.  MARSH  was  a  son  of  our  former  minister  of 
that  name,  who  kept  a  private  boarding  school  but 
two  doors  from  my  father's.  To  this  school  I  went, 
where  I  was  kindly  treated,  and  I  began  to  study  in 
earnest.  My  father  soon  observed  the  relaxation  of 
my  zeal  for  fowling  piece,  and  my  daily  increasing 
attention  to  my  books.  In  a  little  more  than  a  year 
Mr.  Marsh  pronounced  me  fitted  for  college.  On  the 
day  appointed  at  Cambridge  for  the  examination  of 
candidates  for  admission  I  mounted  my  horse  and 
called  upon  Mr.  Marsh,  who  was  to  go  with  me.  The 
weather  was  dull  and  threatened  rain.  Mr.  Marsh 
said  he  was  unwell  and  afraid  to  go  out.  I  must 
therefore  go  alone.  Thunderstruck  at  this  unfore 
seen  disappointment,  and  terrified  at  the  thought  of 
introducing  myself  to  such  great  men  as  the  President 
and  Fellows  of  a  college,  I  at  first  resolved  to  return 
home ;  but  foreseeing  the  grief  of  my  father  and 
apprehending  he  would  not  only  be  offended  with  me 
but  my  master  too  whom  I  sincerely  loved,  I.  aroused 
myself,  and  collected  resolution  enough  to  proceed. 
Although  Mr.  Marsh  had  assured  me  that  he  had  seen 
one  of  the  tutors  the  last  week  and  had  said  to  him  all 
that  was  proper  for  him  to  say  if  he  should  go  to  Cam 
bridge,  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  trust  me  to  an 
examination  and  was  confident  I  should  acquit  my- 


NO. U2]     Entrance   Examinations     355 

self  well  and  be  honourably  admitted  ;  yet  I  had  not 
the  same  confidence  in  myself  and  suffered  a  very 
melancholy  journey.  Arrived  at  Cambridge  I  pre 
sented  myself  according  to  my  directions  and  under 
went  the  usual  examination  by  the  President  Mr. 
Holyoke  and  the  tutors  Flint,  Hancock,  Mayhew  and 
Marsh.  Mr.  Mayhew  into  whose  class  we  were  to  be 
admitted,  presented  me  a  passage  of  English  to  trans 
late  into  Latin.  It  was  long  and  casting  my  eye 
over  it  I  found  several  words  the  Latin  for  which  did 
not  occur  to  my  memory.  Thinking  that  I  must 
translate  it  without  a  dictionary,  I  was  in  a  great 
fright  and  expected  to  be  turned  by,  an  event  that  I 
dreaded  above  all  things.  Mr.  Mayhew  went  into 
his  study  and  bid  me  follow  him.  "  There  child,"  said 
he,  "  is  a  dictionary,  there  a  grammar,  and  there 
paper,  pen,  and  ink,  and  you  may  take  your  own 
time."  This  was  joyful  news  to  me  and  I  then 
thought  my  admission  safe.  The  Latin  was  soon 
made.  I  was  declared  admitted  and  a  theme  given  me 
to  write  on  in  the  vacation.  I  was  as  light  when  I 
came  home  as  I  had  been  heavy  when  I  went :  my 
master  was  well  pleased  and  my  parents  very  happy. 

II 

On  Monday  morning  Dr.  Kirkland,  as  he  was 
leaving  the  breakfast-table,  said  that  he  would  like 
to  see  me  in  his  study  at  a  quarter  before  nine. 
When  I  presented  myself  he  gave  two  little  taps  of 
his  feet  upon  the  floor,  and  immediately  I  heard  a 
movement  in  the  room  below,  footsteps  on  the  stairs, 
and  a  knock  at  the  door.  The  "Come  in"  was  an 
swered  by  a  young  person,  to  whom  Dr.  Kirkland 


356 


At  School  [NO. 


said,  "  Emerson,  this  is  my  nephew,  Master  Lothrop, 
of  whom  I  spoke  to  you."  Emerson  and  myself  shook 
hands,  while  my  uncle  continued,  "  I  wish  to  put  him 
under  your  instruction,  for  the  present  at  least.  Will 
you  take  him  to  your  room,  see  where  he  is  in  his 
studies,  and  begin  accordingly  ?  Be  careful  not  to 
make  his  lessons  too  long  and  difficult,  because  he  is 
more  accustomed  to  out-of-door  life  than  to  study. 
In  his  recitations  and  oral  instruction  I  wish  you  to 
give  him  about  an  hour  a  day,  from  Monday  to  Friday 
inclusive."  Emerson  bowed,  and  said,  "  I  will  do  the 
best  I  can,  sir";  then  turning  to  me,  asked,  "Will 
you  come  down  to  my  room  ? "  As  soon  as  we  got 
into  his  room  he  said,  with  a  slight  diminution  of  the 
dignity  and  authority  manifested  in  presence  of  the 
President,  "  Lothrop  —  your  Christian  name ;  what  is 
it  ? "  I  told  him  my  name,  and  then  made  the  same 
inquiry  in  regard  to  his ;  to  which  he  replied,  "  My 
name  is  Ralph,  —  Ralph  Waldo."  Physically  at  least, 
the  child  was  the  father  of  the  man ;  for  he  was  very 
much  the  same  person  then  in  looks  and  manners 
that  I  have  known  him  to  be  for  the  last  forty  years. 
He  was  about  two  years  older  than  myself,  and  nearly 
as  tall  as  when  he  had  reached  maturity,  —  a  Saxon 
blonde,  pale  face,  light  hair,  blue  eyes.  He  was  calm 
and  quiet  in  his  manners ;  and  no  matter  how  much 
he  felt,  externally  he  was  never  moved  or  excited. 
I  think  there  was  the  same  mingling  of  shyness, 
awkwardness,  and  dignity  about  him  as  a  freshman  in 
college  that  is  often  observed  in  him  to-day. 

The  examination  began  at  6  A.  M.  Friday,  was 
over  by  five  in  the  afternoon,  and  between  that  and 
seven  o'clock  all  the  candidates  got  their  answers.  I 
passed  a  very  good  examination,  but  was  conditioned 


NO.  n3]       County  School  Houses        357 

in  Latin  Grammar,  —  a  book  which  at  that  time  I 
could  recite  from  beginning  to  end  without  a  mistake. 
Dr.  Kirkland,  who  examined  me  pretty  strictly  in  the 
Georgics  of  Virgil,  and  made  me  parse  several  clauses, 
said,  "  I  am  a  little  surprised  at  your  being  conditioned 
in  Latin  Grammar.  How  came  it?"  I  said,  "I  don't 
know,  sir ;  I  had  only  one  question  put  to  me,  which 
I  did  not  exactly  understand,  and  almost  instantly, 
while  I  was  trying  to  make  out  what  the  question 
meant,  Mr.  Hunt  said,  'That  will  do;  sit  down.'' 
My  uncle  made  no  remark;  and  Mr.  Hunt,  when  I 
went  to  him  to  be  re-examined  in  Latin  Grammar, 
merely  said,  "  Have  you  been  studying  it  during  the 
vacation?"  I  replied,  "No,  sir,  I  can't  say  that  I 
have.  I  thought  I  could  repeat  the  whole  of  it  the 
day  you  conditioned  me.  Mr.  Miles  considered  me 
perfectly  prepared  in  Latin  Grammar."  " Well,  well!" 
he  said,  "  I  don't  care  about  hearing  you  repeat  the 
whole  of  it  now.  I'll  take  Mr.  Miles's  opinion  :  you 
may  go."  And  so  I  left,  feeling  that  I  should  like  to 
ask  him  if  he  thought  it  right  to  treat  a  young  man 
in  that  way. 

— + — 

113.     County  School  Houses 

BY   HORACE  MANN  (1838) 

THE  school-houses  in  the  state  have  a  few  common 
characteristics.  They  are  almost  universally  con 
tracted  in  size ;  they  are  situated  immediately  on  the 
road-side,  and  are  without  any  proper  means  of  ven 
tilation.  In  most  other  respects  the  greatest  diver 
sity  prevails.  The  floors  of  some  are  horizontal ; 
those  of  others  rise  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre, 


358 


At  School 


[No.  113 


on  two,  or  sometimes  three  sides,  from  an  open  area 
in  the  centre.  On  the  horizontal  floors,  the  seats  and 
desks  are  sometimes  designed  only  for  a  single  scholar 


TWO  FAMOUS  MEN. 
(LONGFELLOW  AND  SUMNER.) 


and  allow  the  teacher  room  to  approach  on  either  side, 
and  give  an  opportunity  to  go  out  or  into  the  seat, 
without  disturbance  of  any  one.  In  others,  ten 


NO. n4]     A  Young  Schoolmistress      359 

scholars  are  seated  on  one  seat,  and  at  one  desk,  so 
that  the  middle  ones  can  neither  go  out  nor  in  with 
out  disturbing,  at  least,  four  of  their  neighbors.  In 
others,  again,  long  tables  are  prepared,  at  which  the 
scholars  sit  face  to  face,  like  large  companies  at 
dinner.  In  others  the  seats  are  arranged  on  the  sides 
of  the  room,  the  walls  of  the  house  forming  the 
backs  of  the  seats,  and  the  scholars,  as  they  sit  at  the 
desks,  facing  inwards  ;  while  in  others,  the  desks  are 
attached  to  the  walls,  and  the  scholars  face  outwards. 
The  form  of  school-houses  is,  with  very  few  ex 
ceptions,  that  of  a  square  or  oblong.  Some,  how 
ever,  are  round,  with  an  open  circular  area  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  for  the  teacher's  desk  and  a  stove, 
with  seats  and  desks  around  the  wall,  facing  outwards, 
separated  from  each  other  by  high  partitions,  which 
project  some  distance  into  the  room,  so  that  the 
scholars  may  be  turned  into  these  separate  compart 
ments,  as  into  so  many  separate  stalls.  In  no  particu 
lar  does  chance  seem  to  have  had  so  much  sway  as  in 
regard  to  light.  In  many,  so  much  of  the  wall  is 
occupied  by  windows,  that  there  is  little  difference 
between  the  intensity  and  the  changes  of  light  within 
and  without  the  school-room ;  while  in  some  others, 
there  is  but  one  small  window  on  each  of  the  three 
sides  of  the  house  and  none  on  the  fourth. 


114.   A  Very  Young  Schoolmistress 

BY  MRS.  WYATT 

BEFORE  I  was  thirteen,  I  had  an  invitation  to 
teach  a  school  in  Meaderborough,  in  the  upper  part 
of  Rochester,  N.H.,  I  commenced  the  school  under 


MARTHA   I.AURENS. 


NO.  1 14]     A  Young  Schoolmistress      361 

favorable  auspices,  with  eighteen  or  twenty  scholars, 
young  men  and  women,  and  three  babies.  It  was 
my  first  effort,  and  never  did  I  do  better.  I  was 
young  and  strove  to  excel.  The  school  was  popular 
and  I  gained  much  credit,  as  a  teacher. 

Schools  then,  were  not  as  now,  filled  up  with  all 
branches  necessary  to  make  a  finished  education,  in 
these  modern  times.  The  only  branches  taught  were 
reading,  spelling,  and  writing.  But  little  was  thought 
in  those  days  of  the  education  of  daughters.  To 
read  and  write,  with  a  smattering  of  geography  and 
arithmetic  were  considered  the  height  of  female  edu 
cation.  The  minds  of  girls  were  then  considered  to 
be  inadequate  to  struggle  with  the  higher  branches 
of  education,  which  they  now  master  so  readily. 

The  only  books  then  used  in  school  were  Webster's 
spelling  book,  the  Testament,  and  the  Third  Part, 
for  the  upper  class. 

My  school  was  in  good  order.  Special  attention 
was  given  to  the  manners  of  the  pupils.  They  were 
taught  how  to  enter  and  leave  the  school-room.  They 
were  not  allowed  to  run  in,  and  out,  like  a  flock  of 
sheep,  passing  over  a  gap  of  wall.  The  bow  of 
the  little  boy  was  something  more  than  a  nod  over 
the  shoulder,  by  just  turning  the  neck  askew,  and 
bending  it  to  one  side.  The  courtesy  of  the  little 
girl  was  practised,  till  it  could  be  gracefully  per 
formed.  The  manner  even  of  walking  to  and  from 
their  seats,  was  not  neglected. 

By  strict  attention  to  these  little  matters,  the  young 
school-marm  soon  gained  a  reputation.  Her  school 
was  famous  through  the  whole  region.  The  parents 
scarcely  knew  their  own  children,  so  much  were  they 
improved.  Parents,  teachers  and  pupils,  all  came  to 


362 


At  School  [NO. 


see  the  school,  and  went  away  to  praise  the  teacher. 
A  schoolmistress  in  those  days  was  a  wonder,  and 
especially  one  so  young  as  thirteen.  I  closed  this, 
my  first  school,  with  more  than  the  approbation  of 
all  concerned. 


115.    A    First-Honor   Boy 

BY  J.  MARION  SIMS  (1819) 

WHEN  I  was  six  years  old,  my  father  sent  me  to  a 
boarding-school,  some  six  or  eight  miles  from  home. 
The  teacher  here  was  an  Irishman,  Mr.  Quigley, 
a  man  about  fifty-five  years  old,  and  a  rigid  discipli 
narian  ;  altogether  very  tyrannical,  and  sometimes 
cruel.  He  was  badly  pock-marked,  otherwise  a 
handsome  man.  I  was  very  unhappy  at  his  house. 
He  had  two  grown  daughters  ;  one  of  the  daughters 
was  very  unkind  to  me,  the  other  was  sympathetic. 

A  very  curious  custom  prevailed  in  this  school, 
which  was  that  the  boy  who  arrived  earliest  in  the 
morning  was  at  the  head  of  his  class  during  the  day, 
and  was  considered  the  first-honor  boy.  The  one 
who  arrived  second  took  the  second  place,  and  so  on. 
There  was  a  great  rivalry  among  some  half-dozen  of 
the  most  ambitious  of  the  boys.  James  Graham  was 
about  ten  years  old.  He  was  almost  always  first  in 
the  morning.  Although  I  was  so  very  young,  only 
six,  I  occasionally  made  efforts  to  get  there  earlier 
than  he  did.  I  suppose  the  school-house  was  not 
more  than  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  from  the  teacher's 
residence  where  I  boarded ;  but  it  seemed  to  me,  at 
the  time,  that  it  was  very  much  farther  than  that. 
However,  the  boy  that  got  ahead  of  James  Graham 


NO.  n5]        A  First-Honor  Boy         363 

had  to  rise  very  early  in  the  morning.  I  remember 
getting  up  one  morning  long  before  daybreak. 

The  dread  of  my  young  life  was  mad  dogs  and 
runaway  slaves.  I  started  off  for  the  school-house 
on  a  trot,  an  hour  before  day,  looking  anxiously  from 
side  to  side,  and  before  and  behind,  fearing  all  the 
time  those  two  great  bugbears  of  my  young  life. 
When  I  arrived  at  the  school-house  the  wind  was 
blowing  very  severely.  It  was  in  the  autumn ;  the 
acorns  were  falling  on  the  clap-boards  covering  the 
log-cabin,  and  I  didn't  feel  very  comfortable,  and 
was  most  anxious  for  James  Graham  to  come.  At 
last  he  arrived,  greatly  to  my  relief.  This  was  my 
first  and  last  first-honor  day.  I  was  content  after 
this  to  resign  this  post  to  James  Graham. 

My  father  came  to  see  me  but  once  during  the  six 
months  I  was  in  this  school.  My  mother  came  to 
see  me  about  once  a  month.  I  was  dying  to  tell  her 
of  the  bad  treatment  I  received  from  the  teacher  and 
from  one  of  his  daughters.  The  old  gentleman  was 
very  obstinate,  and  not  only  punished  me  unneces 
sarily  at  school,  but  he  would  not  let  me  have  what 
I  wanted  to  eat,  and  would  compel  me  to  eat  things 
absolutely  distasteful  to  me.  I  wished  to  tell  my 
mother  of  all  this ;  of  how  Miss  Nelly  used  to  box 
my  ears  and  pull  my  hair,  and  how  old  Quigley 
used  to  punish  me,  but  I  was  too  closely  watched. 
I  could  never  get  her  to  one  side,  never  see  her 
alone.  At  last  I  became  desperate :  right  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  family  I  told  the  whole  truth 
of  the  severe  treatment  that  I  had  endured  ever  since 
I  had  been  there,  and  that  she  must  take  me  home ; 
if  she  didn't,  I  would  run  away  and  leave  the  place 
even  if  I  were  captured  by  runaway  slaves  and  de- 


At    School  [No.  116 

voured  by  mad  dogs.     I  would  have  run  away  long 
before,  but  for  this  dread. 

As  soon  as  my  mother  went  home,  and  told  my 
father  what  had  occurred,  he  sent  and  removed  me 
to  my  own  home  again,  where  I  was  as  happy  as  the 
day  was  long.  I  must  say,  however,  that,  in  spite 
of  all  the  disagreeable  things  of  this  school,  they  man 
aged  to  make  the  boys  learn.  I  used  to  lie  awake 
nights,  and  think  about  what  I  could  do  to  get  home. 
Then  it  was  that  the  idea  of  an  elevated  road  came 
into  my  mind  strongly.  My  idea  was  that  all  little 
boys  placed  at  boarding-schools  should  have  a  trough 
reaching  from  the  school  to  their  homes,  elevated 
on  posts  and  girders,  ten  feet  above  ground,  so  that 
they  could  climb  up  and  get  into  this  trough  and  run 
home  without  the  fear  of  either  mad  dogs  or  runaway 
slaves. 


1 1 6.    A  Little  American  Girl  in  a 
French  Convent 

BY  MARTHA  JEFFERSON  (1785) 

I  AM  very  happy  in  the  convent,  and  with  reason, 
for  there  wants  nothing  but  the  presence  of  my 
friends  of  America  to  render  my  situation  worthy  to 
be  envied  by  the  happiest ;  I  do  not  say  kings,  for, 
far  from  it,  they  are  often  more  unfortunate  than  the 
lowest  of  their  subjects.  I  have  seen  the  king  and 
the  queen,  but  at  too  great  a  distance  to  judge  if  they 
are  like  their  pictures  in  Philadelphia.  We  had  a 
lovely  passage  in  a  beautiful  new  ship,  that  had  made 
one  passage  before.  There  were  only  six  passengers, 


NO.  n6]   A  Little  American  Girl    365 

all  of  whom  Papa  knew,  and  we  had  fine  sunshine  all 
the  way,  with  a  sea  which  was  as  calm  as  a  river. 

We  landed  in  England,  where  we  made  a  very 
short  stay.  The  day  we  left  it  we  got  off  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  arrived  in  France  at 
eleven  the  next  morning.  I  cannot  say  that  this 
voyage  was  as  agreeable  as  the  first,  though  it  was 
much  shorter.  It  rained  violently,  and  the  sea  was 
exceedingly  rough  all  the  time,  and  I  was  almost  as 
sick  as  the  first  time,  when  I  was  sick  two  days.  The 
cabin  was  not  more  than  three  feet  wide  and  about 
four  long.  There  was  no  other  furniture  than  an  old 
bench,  which  was  fast  to  the  wall.  The  door  by 
which  we  came  in  was  so  little  that  one  was  obliged 
to  enter  on  all-fours.  There  were  two  little  doors  on 
the  side  of  the  cabin,  the  way  to  our  beds,  which 
were  composed  of  two  boxes  and  a  couple  of  blankets, 
without  either  spring  or  mattress,  so  that  I  was 
obliged  to  sleep  in  my  clothes.  There  being  no  win 
dow  in  the  cabin,  we  were  obliged  to  stay  in  the  dark, 
for  fear  of  the  rain  coming  in  if  we  opened  the 
door. 

I  fear  we  should  have  fared  badly  at  our  arrival, 
for  Papa  spoke  very  little  French,  and  I  not  a  word, 
if  an  Irish  gentleman,  an  entire  stranger  to  us,  had 
not  seen  our  embarrassment,  and  been  so  good  as  to 
conduct  us  to  a  house ;  he  was  of  great  service  to  us. 
It  is  amazing  to  see  how  they  cheat  strangers ;  it  cost 
Papa  as  much  to  have  the  baggage  brought  from  the 
shore  to  the  house,  which  was  about  half  a  square,  as 
the  bringing  it  from  Philadelphia  to  Boston. 

From  there  we  should  have  had  a  very  delightful 
voyage  to  Paris,  for  Havre  de  Grace  is  built  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Seine,  and  we  follow  the  river  all  the 


366 


At    School  [No.  116 


way  through  the  most  beautiful  country  I  ever  saw  in 
my  life,  —  it  is  a  perfect  garden  ;  —  but  the  singularity 
of  our  carriage  (a  phaeton)  attracted  the  attention  of 
all  we  met;  and  whenever  we  stopped  we  were  sur 
rounded  by  the  beggars.  One  day  I  counted  no  less 
than  nine  where  we  stopped  to  change  horses. 

I  wish  you  could  have  been  with  us  when  we 
arrived,  I  am  sure  you  would  have  laughed,  for  we 
were  obliged  to  send  immediately  for  the  stay-maker, 
the  mantua-maker,  the  milliner,  and  even  a  shoe 
maker,  before  I  could  go  out.  I  have  never  had  the 
frisenr  but  once ;  but  I  soon  got  rid  of  him,  and 
turned  down  my  hair  in  spite  of  all  they  could  say. 
I  have  seen  two  nuns  take  the  veil.  I'll  tell  you 
about  that  when  I  come  to  see  you. 

I  was  placed  in  a  convent  at  my  arrival,  and  I  leave 
you  to  judge  of  my  situation.  I  did  not  speak  a  word 
of  French,  and  not  one  here  knew  English  but  a  little 
girl  of  two  years  old,  that  could  hardly  speak  French. 
There  are  about  fifty  or  sixty  pensioners  in  the  house, 
so  that  speaking  as  much  as  I  could  with  them,  I 
learnt  the  language  very  soon.  At  present  I  am 
charmed  with  my  situation.  There  come  in  some 
new  pensioners  every  day.  The  classe  is  four  rooms, 
exceedingly  large,  for  the  pensioners  to  sleep  in ;  and 
there  is  a  fifth  and  sixth,  one  for  them  to  stay  in  the 
day,  and  the  other  in  which  they  take  their  lessons. 
We  wear  the  uniform,  which  is  crimson,  made  like  a 
frock,  laced  behind,  with  the  tail,  like  a  robe  de  conr, 
hooked  on,  muslin  cuffs  and  tuckers.  The  masters 
are  all  very  good,  except  that  for  the  drawing. 


NO.  n7]       The  Art   of  Meriting        367 
117.    Squib   on   the  Art  of  Writing 

BY  FRANCIS  HOPKINSON  (1780) 

GENIUS  is  the  gift  of  heaven,  and  manifests  itself 
by  emanations  altogether  unexpected  and  surprising. 
Its  powers  are  not  to  be  obtained  by  application  and 
study,  but  they  may  be  assisted  by  art.  When  genius 
hath  brought  forth,  art  takes  up  and  nurses  the  child, 
and  carefully  consulting  its  features,  deduces  rules 
for  a  happy  conception. 

Such  being  the  connection  between  genius  and  art 
it  is  but  reasonable  that  a  mutual  intercourse  of  good 
offices  should  subsist  between  them. 

For  my  own  part,  I  must  confess  that  nature  hath 
not  been  over  bountiful  to  me  in  the  article  of  genius ; 
but  I  am  desirous  of  exerting  the  little  she  hath  given 
in  behalf  of  those  who  may  have  no  more  than  myself. 

For  this  purpose  I  have  devised  a  method  of  writ 
ing  on  any  subject.  In  it  not  only  the  sound  may  be 
an  echo  to  the  sense,  if  any  sense  there  be,  but  the 
eye  also  shall  be  gratified  with  an  exhibition  of  me 
chanical  elegance  and  propriety.  This  is  the  only 
elegance  perhaps  to  which  such  writers  can  attain. 

By  this  scheme  the  construction  of  a  paragraph, 
the  progress  of  a  line,  and  even  the  disposition  of  the 
words,  may  all  contribute  to  enforce  the  idea  intended. 

It  would  be  a  tedious  task  to  form  a  system  of 
rules  for  this  new  method  of  writing,  or  to  give  a 
description  at  large  of  my  useful  device.  One  ex 
ample  will  fully  explain  the  whole,  so  as  to  enable  an 
author  of  the  meanest  capacity  to  understand  and 
profit  by  the  design.  A  little  practice  will  make  it 
familiar  to  him. 


368  At  School  [NO. ii7 


A    SAMPLE    OF    GOOD    WRITING. 

height 
to  the 

rise 

An  author  who  wishes  to  of  excellence  of 

good  writing,  must      OQ  to  call  in  me- 

\ 
- 

chanical    propriety     to    his    aid.       He    cannot    be 

sublime  : 
all  at  once  but      ^ 

' 

to  the  e 


profound, 


c,  ^?  to  elegance, 


6eauty 


NO.  n7  ]     The  Art   of  Writing        369 

And  whether  he  writes  in  plain  prose  ; 

Or  would  in  verse  his  thoughts  convey, 
His  rhyming  talents  to  display  ; 

and  the  diction 
strict  propriety  should  prevail, 

and  the  sense 

run  parallel  to  each  other ;  pleasing  as  well  the  eye 
as  the  ear. 

Some  have  a  happy  talent  for  expression,  whereby 
they  compensate  for  the  want  of  sentiment  by  the 
enchanting  melody  of  their  style.  Their  language 


and  the  mind  lull'd  in  a  pleasing  repose. 

Others,  without  giving  to  grammar  rules  offence, 
shall  arrange  so  unskilfully  their  words  ;  breaking  as 
it  were,  and  interrupting  the  sense  (or  rather  non 
sense)  they  mean  to  communicate,  by  frequent  (and 
oft  times  unnecessary)  parenthesis,  that  the  ear  stum 
bles  over  their  rugged  paragraphs,  as  the  feet  would 
stumble  in  scrambling  through  a  street,  when  the 

#*  ^        UP  ;  °ver 

pave      £       $•    been         %  stones  bricks' 

*  *  and 


fu 


>}} 


*<t 

2B 


370  At  School  [NO. ii7 

The  mind  of  the  reader  is  more  fa- ti 

gu---1 ed  by  travelling  through  a  sentence  so 

constructed,  than  it  would  be  in  gliding  through  a 
whole  page  -of  harmonious  phraseology. 

Your  precise  grammarians  are  most  apt  to  write  in 
this  style,  thinking  that  they  have  well  acquitted 
themselves,  if  the  strict  rules  of  syntax  are  in  no 
instance  violated.  The  laborer  who  mixes  the  mor 
tar,  and  he  who  carries  the  hod,  may  as  well  pretend 
to  skill  in  architecture,  as  these  haberdashers  of 
moods  and  tenses  may  pretend  to  taste  and  elegance 
in  composition. 

Others    there    are   who    affect    a    singularity    of 

above 
style  It  is  indubitable  verity,  that  their 

the  vulgar. 

phrases  are  collated  from  the  most  approved  authors, 
and  applied  with  the  most  becoming  aptitude,  even 
to  the  very  point  of  precision  in  propriety.  Every 
period  is  polished  and  rounded  off 

as       round 


\ 


Whilst  others  scorn  the 


r    ,  i      i    •        ^  i'  and  write, 

of  language,  deal  in  demonstration      ^ 

I 


NO.  ii7]       The   Art   of  Meriting       371 

By  the  foregoing  example  it  is  evident,  that  not 
only  an  author's  sentiments  may  be  more  forcibly 
impressed  on  the  mind,  but  the  reader's  memory  will 
also  be  greatly  assisted,  if  happily  anything  so  written 
should  be  worth  remembering. 


Source  Book  of  American  History 

FOR  SCHOOLS   AND   READERS 

Edited  by  ALBERT  BUSHNELL  HART,  Ph.D. 

Author  of  "American  History  told  by  Contemporaries"  etc. 


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arranged  as  to  arouse  in  every  young  reader  a  desire  for  wider  reading  upon 
the  interesting  themes  broached.  To  the  teacher  well  up  in  history  it  will  be 
found  a  rich  mine  of  thought."  —  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

"A  fine  piece  of  historical  work,  grouping  extracts  from  trustworthy  rec 
ords,  and  with  some  facsimile  illustrations,  with  the  object  of  showing  whence 
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use  of  material  for  history  is  when  discovered.  It  is  admirably  adapted  to 
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ters  for  teachers  are  of  the  most  helpful  sort;  and  the  book  is  sold  at  so  low  a 
price  that  no  secondary  school  in  which  American  history  is  taught  can  find  a 
reasonable  excuse  for  not  employing  it  as  an  adjunct  to  the  regular  manual." 

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STUDENT'S    HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED   STATES 

By  EDWARD   CHANNING 

Professor  of  History  in  Harvard   University 
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forcefully  the  questions  which  have  been  either  the  sectional  or  the 
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A    SHORT    HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES 

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